SMOKING BANS AND HEART HEALTH: NEW TOOLS FOR ACTIONThe evidence is clear: secondhand smoke is a serious threat to heart health and strong smoking bans save lives. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that secondhand smoke accounts for 600,000 premature deaths a year. New resources that came out at the end of 2009 anchor these conclusions and support global action for implementing smoke free policy. IOM: confirming that secondhand smoke increases risk of heart attackIn mid-October 2009, the United States Institute of Medicine (IOM) released Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Making Sense of the Evidence. The most comprehensive review of the research to date, it concluded that exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart attack and that even short exposure can affect the cardiovascular system. The report was commissioned by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which have developed an animation to illustrate how secondhand smoke affects the cardiovascular system (see links below). American Heart Association: supporting smoke-free policy“The facts are undeniable,” said Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association (AHA): “heavy exposure to secondhand smoke increases nonsmokers’ risk of heart attack 25–30%”. Endorsing the results of the IOM report in mid-October, the AHA immediately released its Policy Position Statement on Clean Indoor Air Laws and the Impact on Cardiovascular Disease. The statement supports comprehensive smokefree laws that apply to all workplaces and public environments and include no exemptions for hardship, opting out, or ventilation, private clubs, casinos, gaming organizations or bars. Recommendations are based on Fundamentals of Smokefree Workplace laws, a consensus document developed with a number of national organizations that incorporates experiences and lessons learned from tobacco control advocates across the country. WHO: Monitoring global implementation of smoke-free policyThe WHO released its second MPower report in November 2009. Monitoring the prevalence of tobacco use and the progress of key tobacco control measures around the world, the 2009 report focuses on smokefree environments. Lauding recent achievements in implementing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the report cites seven more countries (Colombia, Djibouti, Guatemala, Mauritius, Panama, Turkey and Zambia) which enacted comprehensive smokefree policy. In total, 154 million people are now protected from secondhand smoke. Global Smokefree Partnership: Global referencesThe Global Smokefree Partnership (GSP) published its Annual Global Voices Report in November. The 2009 report, available in Spanish and English, focuses on tobacco industry strategies to undermine smokefree policy. The GSP website features an interactive map of smokefree policy which offers easy access to up-to-date information. Early in 2010, GSP will also launch a clearinghouse of resources on smokefree policy. Implications for all health professionalsDr Neal Benowitz, Professor of Medicine at the University of California who was on the IOM report review committee, sums up the implications of the report findings: “Patients who have heart disease or are in a high-risk category should avoid exposure to secondhand smoke in public places, homes, vehicles, and anywhere else. Health professionals, patients and family members should respect smoking bans and work for their adoption and enforcement wherever full protection has not yet been put into place”. World Heart Federation calls cardiovascular health community to actionAs guardians of the science on heart health, members of the cardiovascular health community have a special role to play in communicating the evidence on secondhand smoke to patients, the public, and policymakers. Working towards a tobacco-free world is a key priority of the World Heart Federation’s new institutional strategy. Aiming to anchor protection from tobacco use and exposure at the core of the heart- health agenda, the World Heart Federation is developing scientific content on tobacco and the heart for its World Congress of Cardiology, and is working with the GSP and its members to disseminate tools and best practices to help congress participants fulfil this role. | |||||||
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