Smoking Bans Reduce the Risk of Heart Attacks Associated With Secondhand Smoke

In a report issued by the  Institute of Medicine "It's clear that smoking bans work," said Lynn Goldman, professor of environmental health sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, and chair of the committee of experts that wrote the report.  "Bans reduce the risks of heart attack in nonsmokers as well as smokers.  Further research could explain in greater detail how great the effect is for each of these groups and how secondhand smoke produces its toxic effects.  However, there is no question that smoking bans have a positive health effect." The full report is available on line and clearly supports the new legislative ban in smoking in restaurants in Virginia. .