Sunday, November 16 2008
A continuous drop in heart attack fatalities in Massachusetts can be traced to the state’s 2004 ban of smoking in public places, according to a report released Thursday by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
The Massachusetts Smoke-free Workplace Law, which went into effect in July 2004, made smoking illegal in most indoor public places, including offices, bars, and restaurants.
Researchers evaluated death certificates from 1999 to 2006 and found that the yearly decrease in heart attack deaths has averaged to 577 since the ban was implemented. The number of deaths from heart attack per year decreased by 16 percent overall from 2004 to 2006.
Smoking Ban Leads to Fewer Fatalities continues...
