SMOKING bans lead to a reduced risk of heart disease and heart attacks for nonsmokers posed by second-hand smoke, researchers reported Thursday. The study was conducted by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and sponsored by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the Associated Press, the surgeon general in 2006 cited overwhelming scientific evidence to show that thousands of people die each year from lung and heart disease. If you have heart disease, you really need to stay away from secondhand smoke. Its an immediate threat to your life, said study co-author Dr. Neal Benowitz of the University of California. The Institute of Medicine committee noted the repeated finding of decreased heart attack rates overall after bans were implemented conclusively demonstrates that smoke-free policies help protect people from the cardiovascular effects of tobacco smoke. CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden said the report showed that smoke free laws reduce the incidence of heart attacks in non-smokers. But still, most of the country lives in areas that dont have comprehensive smoke-free laws covering all workplaces, all restaurants and all bars, he added. The committee studied data from 11 studies on smoking bans in the US, Canada and Europe. They found remarkable consistency linking smoking bans to a drop in heart attack rates ranging from 6 percent to 47 percent. Consistency in the direction of change gave the committee confidence that smoking bans decrease the rate of heart attacks, the committee said. RO This really communicates the benefits for nonsmokers. Nonsmokers are at risk. Its always been an important point, said Dr. Lynn Goldman of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who chaired the committee. Now we know its not only in terms of cancer risk but cardiovascular disease risk. An estimated 80 million American adults have one or more types of cardiovascular disease, and Nearly 3 of 4 U.S. adults have at least one major cardiovascular risk factor, according to the CDC. RO