The impact of public smoking ban on the incidence of myocardial infarction hospitalizations

Abstract

Smoking is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Exposure to tobacco smoke is associated with an estimated 35,000 cardiovascular deaths per year in nonsmokers. In addition, the risk of CVD decreases with the cessation of exposure to smoking. Association of smoking with CVD has been well known for years; however, association of secondhand smoke with CVD has been a topic of great interest, especially for the past 2 decades. Multiple studies and articles have evaluated the impact of smoking ban on the incidence of AMI-related hospitalizations. In this article, we discuss the effect of smoking ban on the economy and on human health in general, as well as its potential effects on the prevalence of smoking.