A study by researchers at the College of Nursing and the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky found that after laws were passed prohibiting smoking in public places in the city of Lexington, the percentage of women hospitalized for heart attacks dropped 23 percent. The hospitalization rate for men suffering from heart attacks was unchanged. After the data was collected, the city banned smoking in all workplaces.
Ellen J. Hahn, professor and director of the Kentucky Center for Smoke-Free Policy at the University of Kentucky and lead author of the study, said, “Smoke-free laws are a known ‘vaccine’ protecting entire populations from heart attack.” She stated stronger smoke-free legislation could extend protections for both women and men.
The research was published in the November-December issue of Public Health Reports. The paper may be downloaded here.