Now that Sheffield has turned smokefree the public will be less likely to suffer heart attacks linked to smoking and second-hand smoking, according to a recent study.
The three-year study, released by the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, was held in Pueblo, Colorado and found that the rate of heart attacks in the city had decreased dramatically by almost 30% after the smokefree legislation had been passed on July 1st 2003.
Researchers evaluated the number of heart attacks in Pueblo 18 months before the ban and 18 months after it had been put into place, which showed 108 fewer people had heart attacks in the final 18-month period.
The study confirmed that the smoking restrictions did have a dramatic affect on the general health of the public.
John Soady, spokesperson for Public Health at Sheffield Primary Care Trust, said: “This study is real evidence of the benefits that giving up smoking can have on the individual and those around them.
“The benefits in England won’t be as great as in America because a lot of places over here are already smokefree ahead of the new legislation. However even taking this into account, the results from the study if applied to Sheffield would still equate to as many as 300 fewer heart attacks in the city per year due to reduced exposure to smoking.”
“That brings into sharp relief the reason for needing to ensure we have successful local uptake of the legislation, and which is why we provide NHS support services to help smokers quit successfully.”
Smokers who wish to quit can call the Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service on 0800 068 4490 (you will not be charged for the call). The Service provides highly effective programmes that include nicotine replacement therapy, such as patches, and similar medication on NHS prescription.
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