Secondhand Smoking and Smoking Bans

摘要

Secondhand smoking (SHS), also known as passive smoking or environmental tobacco smoke, is a serious threat to public health. Exposure to SHS is a significant risk factor for lung cancer, respiratory diseases, stroke, and coronary heart disease (CHD) among nonsmokers and is responsible for about 49,000 deaths per year in the United States. In an effort to protect nonsmokers from exposure to SHS, several countries have implemented smoking bans. These bans have been shown not only to reduce exposure to SHS but also to decrease the prevalence and intensity of active smoking. Smoking bans have also been associated with both short-term ( 12 months) reductions in hospital admissions for CHD following the implementation of smoking bans. For studies reporting short-term follow-up, this reduction ranged from 11 to 17, whereas the drop in CHD-related hospital admissions from studies with longer-term follow-up ranged from 8 to 47. Higher reductions were reported among nonsmokers and young people. Smoking bans are effective in reducing exposure to SHS and could have immediate and long-term benefits for cardiovascular health. Smoking bans are a very effective public health measure to prevent CHD.