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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, October 16, 2009 |
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Report Links Secondhand Smoke and Heart DiseaseDENVER - A new report released by the Institute of Medicine clearly links secondhand smoke exposure and heart disease. The findings reinforce the work of the State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership in reducing secondhand smoke exposure. The Institute of Medicine committee was charged with assessing scientific studies to address ongoing questions about secondhand smoke exposure and effects on the heart. The results of the report substantiate previous studies that smoke-free laws reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. The report supports Colorado’s smoke-free law and continued work toward reducing exposure in homes, apartments and cars as well as educating residents about their risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in Colorado. “This report validates that exposure to secondhand smoke is extremely harmful and increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 25 to 30 percent,” said Marsha Wilde, heart disease and stroke prevention expert at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “It also indicates that even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can trigger a heart attack.” The report concludes that people with heart disease are particularly at high risk of suffering adverse effects from breathing secondhand smoke. Many Coloradans have heart disease and are unaware of the risk. Smoking is the leading risk factor for heart disease, and a mounting body of evidence demonstrates a link exists between secondhand smoke and heart disease. The Pueblo Heart studies conducted in Pueblo in two phases played a key role in the committee’s evaluation. The Pueblo Heart Study Phase II, published in the Jan. 2, 2009, issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, extended the analysis of the first study to reveal that heart attack hospitalizations fell dramatically – a drop what was sustained for three years – after implementation of a comprehensive smoke-free workplace and public place ordinance. These studies, along with all the other publications reviewed by the committee, showed a decrease in the rate of heart attacks after a smoke-free law was implemented. The Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, was implemented July 1, 2006, and was expanded to include casinos in 2008. The implementation of the act has led to a significant decrease in secondhand smoke exposure. The State Tobacco Education and Prevention’s secondhand smoke director at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Jill Bednarek, said, “We recommend that individuals and families further reduce their exposure to secondhand smoke by adopting smoke-free rules for the home and car, and encouraging property owners of multi-unit complexes to implement smoke-free policies. These recommendations can reduce heart disease and save lives.” ---30--- |
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