The surprising results of cigarette smoking bans in bars and restaurants

Good for Business

It’s been one of the most controversial issues in every city that’s floated it: Banning smoking in restaurants and bars.

Smokers cried out that they needed a place to smoke. Owners feared their businesses would be bankrupted.

So what’s really happened?

Let’s look at some surprising results from a Twin Cities study.

Ohio State University researchers report that in the two- and-a-half years after a Minneapolis/St. Paul smoking ban went into effect in all bars and restaurants, employment increased by more than 5 percent in Minneapolis bars, and decreased by only 1 percent in St. Paul bars.

Among restaurants in the Twin Cities, employment increased by at least 3 percent.

Researchers used employment stats as a way to gauge rise or fall of business. The same type of study, conducted in California, produced a similar outcome.

So it seems we can set aside the “bad for business” argument.

And if you think it doesn’t really make a difference in people’s health, hold the phone.

Heart-wise Helena

A few years ago, Helena, Montana, banned smoking in all public buildings. Right away, doctors at a local hospital noted a dip in the number of heart attack patients.

With only one cardiac care hospital in the city, researchers seized a perfect opportunity to accurately track heart attack rates among Helena’s 66,000 citizens.

A team from the University of California reports that within six months of the Helena smoking ban, heart attacks in the city dropped by almost 60 percent compared with the average rate over the four years before the ban.

That’s pretty dramatic. But not really surprising.

The aorta begins to stiffen within five minutes of exposure to secondhand smoke. In just half an hour, blood starts to get “sticky” with activated blood platelets. Blood vessel dilation is also reduced. With enough exposure, artery linings can be damaged.

By some estimates, an eight-hour shift spent working in a smoky bar has the same effect on the cardiovascular system as smoking an entire pack of cigarettes. It’s called “passive” smoking, but the increased risks of heart attack, cancer, and emphysema are anything but passive.

A little help

If you’re a non-smoker who works in an enclosed environment that fills up with cigarette smoke, here’s a tip I’ve mentioned before…

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular problems and lung cancer triggered by passive smoking. So researchers examined the effects of vitamins C, E, and alpha-lipoic acid, in 67 middle-aged nonsmokers who were regularly exposed to second hand smoke.

After two months, subjects who received the nutrient mix reduced their oxidative stress by nearly 13 percent compared to placebo.

Could this advantage be enough to avoid a heart attack? That’s hard to say. Your best bet: Get a smoke-free job.

Or move to Helena.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Sources:
“Economic Effects of Clean Indoor Air Policies on Bar and Restaurant Employment in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota” Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, Vol. 16, No. 4, July/August 2010, journals.lww.com
“Minnesota Smoking Bans Didn’t Lead to Job Loss” Robert Preidt, HealthDay News, 7/2/10, healthday.com
“Six-Month Public Smoking Ban Slashes Heart Attack Rate in Community” EurekAlert, 4/1/03, eurekalert.org
“Vitamin C Supplementation Decreases Oxidative Stress biomarker f2-Isoprostanes in Plasma of Nonsmokers Exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke” Nutrition and Cancer, 2003; 45(2), 176-84, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov