IOM Says Smoking Bans Reduce Heart Attacks

By Emily P. Walker, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today Published: October 15, 2009 WASHINGTON -- Bans on smoking in public places could reduce heart attacks and heart disease caused by secondhand smoke, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The new findings indicate that indoor smoking bans -- which are growing in popularity -- can improve the health of smokers and nonsmokers alike, according to the report, which was prepared for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It's clear that smoking bans work," said Lynn Goldman, MD, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who chaired the IOM committee that wrote the report. A pivotal 2006 Surgeon General's report found that secondhand smoke causes heart disease and endorsed smoking bans as an economical way to reduce risk. However, debate remains over what effect smoking bans have on reducing heart disease./.../