Press Release

Smoking ordinances benefit communities

Columbia, Mo. (Dec. 17, 2007) - Smoking ordinances bring immediate and significant health benefits to communities and a recent study provides new evidence for that.

A report from the December issue of Journal of Drug Education shows that after the implementation of a comprehensive smoke-free ordinance (including bars, clubs and restaurants) in Monroe County, Ind., hospital admissions for heart attacks among non-smokers with no history of heart disease dropped by 70%. This study presents a unique and very strong evidence for the benefits of such ordinances because it is the first to examine non-smokers, who are most affected by secondhand smoke.

Its results are similar to previous studies in Helena, Mont., and Pueblo, Colo. and provide further support for the conclusions of the 2006 Surgeon General report on secondhand smoke. The Surgeon General concluded that secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and adults who don't smoke and only eliminating smoking from indoor spaces fully protects non-smokers.

"We have excellent documentation that ties secondhand smoke with lots of diseases including heart disease, cancers, and others," said Linda Cooperstock, MPH, public health planner at the Columbia/Boone County Health Department.

This evidence convinced Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman to vote for the current smoking ordinance in October 2006. "I voted to support the ordinance primarily for health reasons," he said. "I think it's wrong for people to be able in public places to jeopardize others' health with secondhand smoke."

Strong smoke-free laws, which cover restaurants and bars, are now in place in 19 states from Arizona, California, and Colorado to Ohio, Vermont and Washington. Closer to home, Illinois passed a non-smoking legislation (including restaurants and bars) earlier this year and will implement it on Jan. 1, 2008.

"I'm pleased that Columbia has joined the many other cities and states that have passed such ordinances, which now cover more than half of the population of the United States," Hindman said. "I believe that in the long run it will be economically beneficial to Columbia and will make life more pleasant for a large part of the population."

Reputable research on the economic impact of smoke-free ordinances shows no negative consequences and even some positive changes in local and state economies. A group of researchers from the Cancer Council in Australia reviewed in 2003 the quality of such studies and found that all of the studies concluding a negative economic impact were supported by the tobacco industry. The studies with negative outcomes were 20 times more likely to have not gone through a peer review process (which assures the quality of the work) and four times more likely to use subjective measures than studies concluding no negative impact. The Surgeon General reached the same conclusion in his 2006 report: smoke-free policies do not have an adverse economic impact on the hospitality industry (which includes hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs, travel and tourism).

About CASE: CASE is a group of leading researchers and experts on the health effects of secondhand smoke. CASE has expertise in addictions, health promotion, psychology, public health, strategic communication and project evaluation. The CASE team of professionals, in partnership with already existing statewide organizations, is working to improve the health of Missouri communities, complement existing tobacco control efforts, and build an infrastructure that can sustain successful programs for years to come. CASE is funded by a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health. For more information, visit the CASE website: http://www.casemo.org.