LOCAL

Smoke Free Policies Lead to Drops in Heart Attack Hospitalizations

      On January 2, 2010 a new state law will go into effect that will make enclosed areas in almost all restaurants, bars and lodging establishments smoke-free. Under House Bill 2, Session Law 2009-27 “An Act to Prohibit Smoking in Certain Public Places”, smoking will not be allowed in any North Carolina establishment that serves food and receives sanitation inspections from the health department or any bar that holds a state permit authorizing it to sell malt beverages (e.g., beer), wine, or mixed drinks on its premises, with very few exceptions.

     The Yancey County Health Department will be working closely with local establishments to help them comply with this important new law in order to protect the health of workers and customers.

     On December 31, 2008, the Centers for Disease Control  Office on Smoking and Health released the results of a groundbreaking three year study. The study found there were 399 hospital admissions for heart attacks in Pueblo, Colorado in the 18 months before the city’s smoke-free ordinance took effect, compared to 237 heart attack hospitalizations for up to three years after the ordinance was implemented- a decline of 41 percent. Researchers also looked at two nearby towns that had not implemented smoke-free ordinances and found no significant decline in heart attack hospitalizations during the same time periods.

     Long-term exposure to secondhand smoke, which contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including at least 69 carcinogens, is associated with a 25 to 30 percent increased risk of heart disease in adult nonsmokers. Secondhand smoke exposure causes an estimated 46,000 heart disease deaths each year among U.S. nonsmokers. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Yancey County, claiming 52 lives each year. Yancey also has a higher that average adult smoking rate compared to the state.

     Breathing secondhand smoke makes blood platelets stick together, the same way they do in a regular smoker leading to dangerous blood clots. Even a short time in a smoky room causes platelets in blood to stick together. Secondhand smoke also damages the lining of blood vessels. Together, damage to the blood vessels and clots that block blood flow can cause a heart attack.  

     The Surgeon General has also found that secondhand smoke is a proven cause of lung cancer, the second leading cause of death for residents of Yancey County, claiming 14 lives each year.  Exposure is also associated with an increased risk of stroke, serious respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome. We now know that no amount of secondhand smoke is safe, therefore eliminating smoking in indoor spaces is the only way to fully protect nonsmokers.

     It has been found that laws making restaurants and bars smoke-free are associated with rapid improvements in the health of the restaurant and bar workers, including reductions in self-reported respiratory symptoms and improved lung function. Smoke-free laws are associated with some people deciding to quit smoking and over time adopting smoke-free rules at home. It also sets a good role model for our young people.  The evidence is clear that smoke-free laws improve public health without harming business, as 79 percent of North Carolina adults and 76 percent of Yancey County adults are nonsmokers.

     For more information about the health effects of secondhand smoke, visit

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand_smoke/index.htm.

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This page was last updated on Friday, 20 November 2009 04:01 PM