Asthma and heart attack incidence surrounding a no smoking ordinance

The nation is seeing a proliferation of smoke-free ordinances, based on evidence of the health effects of environmental tobacco smoke, documented in reports of the U.S. Surgeon General (e.g. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, 2006) and the evidence that business doesn't suffer as a consequence. Evidence on the health consequences of smoke-free policy is more limited. Researchers in Helena, MT (Sargent, et al, BMJ, 2004) found the incidence of heart attacks declined following enactment of a smoke-free ordinance. Other researchers found a decline in hospital-treated asthma following a smoking ordinance in Lexington, KY (Rayens, et al, J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2008). Metro Louisville, KY, a community of about 700,000, enacted a smoking ordinance in 2005; a stronger ordinance was then passed in 2007. This project collected data from 9 area hospital emergency departments, beginning 22 months prior to enactment through 36 months after the first ordinance went into effect, 19 months after the more inclusive ordinance was enacted. Key measures were ER discharge diagnoses of asthma and heart attacks. Analysis incorporated age, zip code (to exclude those not residing in areas impacted by the ordinance), date of service (to determine seasonal variations), and measures of ozone and particulates (collected by the local air pollution control board), to control for ambient air quality. Louisville is larger, more racially and ethnically diverse than Helena or Lexington, and the other studies did not factor in air quality measures. The research design and data findings will be presented.