Smoking ban brings positive Benefits

"Smoking ban brings positive benefits"

In the article "Smoking Bans Yield Long-term Benefits" (2009) by Adrian Burton, found in Environmental Health Perspective, a smoking ban in the city of Pueblo, Colorado helps reduce the adult hospitalizations of myocardial infarction (AMI). 

In November of 2005, researchers found that the smoke ban in the city of Pueblo, CO reduced the hospitalizations for adults significantly and within 18 months after the ban was implemented, there was a 27% drop in hospitalizations. The city of Pueblo has seen a 41% reduction of hospital admissions since the smoke ban was made and over United States as well as some parts of Europe has reported between 8%-40% reduction of hospitalizations due to the increased regulations of smoking and stricter smoking bans.

Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report (MMWR), 2009

The article reported that this study was done in a small population size and some hospitalization reports could not of been determined whether the hospital stay was due to secondhand smoke or as a smoker who had quit. Although the city of Pueblo showed significant drops in hospital admissions, a bigger field of study and more population size would need to be done to see how the smoke ban can truly help out the citizens of that city. One small step with a smoke ban may lead to bigger and better change for a particular city and then may influence other cities to also implement a smoke ban for better positive benefits all across the world. 

Reference

Adrian, B. (2009). Smoke Ban Yields long-term Benefits. Environmental Health Perspective, 117(3). Retrieved November 1, 2014, from Environ Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.117-a100