Public ban on smoking prevented heart attacks (New Study)

[Mark R]

A new study suggests that a smoking ban may have had a significant effect on the number of heart attacks in the small US town of Helena, Montana.

In Helena a public smoking ban was introduced in 2002. Rather uniquely, however, 6 months later it was revoked. This study compared heart attack rates for periods from 1998 to 2003.

The results showed that from 1998 - 2001 there was a steady rise in number of heart attacks. However, in 2002, there was a sharp drop of 40%, before a return to near original levels in 2003.

Full text (Full text of study)

 

[Mill]

Did you see how small their sample size was?

 

[Cuda1447]

Second hand smoke has no negative side effects though

 

[pyonir]

I'm sure it's a direct correlation.

 

[Feldenak]

In related news:

Ban on public driving has prevented many automobile accidents
and
1920's Prohibition may have prevented cirrhosis

 

[Ranger X]

... And in the news, gouging eyeball with no.2 pencil proved cure for brain tumor!

 

[fredtam]

I would like to see a longer record of admissins. A drop from 60-30 may not be uncommon. I would also like to see the rainfall charts to see if the ban had any effect on weather.

 

[StageLeft]

A long replicated study would end with me stating PWNED. Let's wait for that

Smoking is teh dumb.

 

[Amused]

correlation does not prove causation. That's a pretty pathetic "study" as it's entire basis is correlation alone.

 

[Mark R]

Originally posted by: Mill
Did you see how small their sample size was?

Yup - I have to confess I'm not impressed by this study at all. Tiny sample size and statistics that barely reach significance at 5%. It is, nevertheless, an interesting observation although it is difficult to attach any more significance to it.

I'm just waiting for this to be reported as definitive proof of the dangers of passive smoking in the popular press.

 

[tikwanleap]

Originally posted by: Feldenak
In related news:

Ban on public driving has prevented many automobile accidents
and
1920's Prohibition may have prevented cirrhosis

So you agree that it is clearly obvious that smoking causes heart attacks?

 

[Vic]

VERY unscientific study. Small sample size, biased objective, and too short a time period to prove correlation.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: tikwanleap

Originally posted by: Feldenak
In related news:

Ban on public driving has prevented many automobile accidents
and
1920's Prohibition may have prevented cirrhosis

So you agree that it is clearly obvious that smoking causes heart attacks?

Smoking or ETS?

 

[fredtam]

The ban was for 6 months. Admissions for that year were half of the previous year. Assuming there were an average # of admissions per month (lets say around four) in the previous year and there is no reason to believe that would have decreased before the ban the 25 admissions for the year would have been reached before June. There were no admissions after June? Makes more since that it was just a poor year for heart attacks.

 

[Mill]

I was going to post this myself the other day when I saw it on Google news, but I've sort of tired of the smoking debate.

Either way, I agree with most of the sentiment expressed about the study. It is hardly something I'd ever use as proof that ETS is harmful.

 

If you remove all of the fast food places, the unhealthy food, and cars from a small town, I'm sure you are going to see less deaths.

 

[Kyteland]

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