EFFECTIVENESS OF SMOKEFREE ACTION

Going smokefree gets results.
It improves health, clears the air, lowers smoking rates and wins public approval - and without harming business. Look at the research evidence below....

    CHECK THIS FOR A HEALTHY AND FAR-SIGHTED ATTITUDE BY A POLITICAL LEADER....
    Note that Queensland is leading Australia in smokefree workplace laws: see table

    Queensland minister says gaming hiccup outweighed by health gains
    5/8/07: Queensland's Deputy Premier and Treasurer Anna Bligh has said in a refreshing change from usual
    pollies' bleating about gambling losses from smoke bans, acknowledging a revenue hiccup: "We are in no way
    disappointed with any revenue drop. Every dollar we miss here is more than made up by what we won't have to
    spend on smoking-related health matters now and in the future."    See extract of her media release

LATEST NEWS

Study finds smokefree laws improve health, reduce heart attacks
31/7/08: A study in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine provides strong new evidence that laws requiring smokefree workplaces have a rapid and significant impact on health. The study found that after smokefree legal changes in Scotland there was a 17% fall in hospital admissions for acute heart attacks - and two-thirds of the improvement was among non-smokers. See study abstract

This research adds to a growing body of scientific evidence that shows two things: 1) Secondhand smoke is a proven cause of serious disease and premature death. 2) Smoke-free air laws provide significant and immediate benefits to health. Public health authorities around the world have concluded that secondhand smoke has been proven to cause lung cancer, heart disease, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), low birth weight and serious respiratory conditions.

Several other studies have demonstrated reductions in coronary events in the wake of smoke-free laws. However, the Scottish study is particularly strong because it used larger samples, examined the effect among non-smokers and smokers, included measures of exposure to secondhand smoke, and included a strong geographic control.

Smokefree laws cut almost a fifth of heart attack hospitalisations
30/6/08: A new report in the British Medical Journal reviewing worldwide research evidence shows smokefree laws have reduced by 19% the hospital admissions for heart attacks in places where the changes are in effect. See the report

40% of quitters say smokefree bars and clubs helped
30/6/08: 4 of every 10 people who quit smoking say smokefree changes in pubs and clubs have helped them do it, says new research from the Cancer Council Victoria. For smokers under 30, the rate was even higher: 45%. See Cancer Council Victoria media release 30/6/08

Smoking bans help health and quitting and don't hurt business: WHO report
29/6/08: New reports from scientists at the World Health Organisation say smokefree legislation prevents heart disease, helps quitting and protects children.
See Reuters report 29/6/08

SMOKEFREE VENUES QUICKLY IMPROVE HEALTH

USA/Scotland: Study finds smokefree laws improve health, reduce heart attacks
31/7/08: A study in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine provides strong new evidence that laws requiring smokefree workplaces have a rapid and significant impact on health. The study found that after smokefree legal changes in Scotland there was a 17% fall in hospital admissions for acute heart attacks - and two-thirds of the improvement was among non-smokers. See study abstract

World: Smokefree laws cut almost a fifth of heart attack hospitalisations
30/6/08: A new report in the British Medical Journal reviewing worldwide research evidence shows smokefree laws have reduced by 19% the hospital admissions for heart attacks in places where the changes are in effect. See the report

USA: Smoke bans halve non-smoker heart hospitalisations: study
19/11/07: Indoor smoke bans in eating, drinking and working spaces have reduced heart-related hospital admissions of non-smokers by 59% within two years, in a study across two US counties. The Indiana University study, in the Journal of Drug Education, surveyed more than 35,000 hospitalisations, comparing admissions in comparable counties - one with smoke bans and one without. See study abstract and Newswise report 19/11/07

England: There'll always be an England... despite the pro-smoking lobby's predictions
October 2007: As smoke bans in totally enclosed areas of English pubs approached, the opposition circulated the usual scare stories. So what really happened after July 1, 2007? Are England's pubs empty but for the armies of under-cover smoke police? Check out this review of how things have really turned out for health, quitting, and business. ASH UK report 10/07

England: Bar staff smoke exposure drops 95% - and "minimal" trade impact
1/10/07: Employee exposure to secondhand smoke has fallen 95% since England's July 1 ban on smoking in totally enclosed areas - and there's been "minimal" impact on trade, despite hoteliers' predictions. The results in a preliminary study presented to a National Cancer Research Institute conference in Birmingham. See UK Guardian report 1/10/07

Scotland: Bar workers benefit from smokefree pubs
11/9/07: Scots bar workers have had their smoke exposure reduced by almost 90%, are having fewer respiratory health problems and are smoking less a year after Scotland's indoor-smokefree pub laws came into effect, says a new study from the University of Aberdeen. See media report 11/9/07 with link to study

Irish Republic: Irish heart attacks fall 11% after smokefree pubs
4/9/07: Heart attacks in the Irish Republic fell by 11% in the year after a nationwide ban on smoking in workplaces, including pubs. Authors of the study from Cork University Hospital said it should encourage health authorities to look at extending bans. See Reuters report 4/9/07

USA: Smokefree laws slash heart disease: more evidence
29/5/07: Another study has found smokefree laws have a quick effect in reducing heart attacks - in one US city almost halving the rate of heart disease in three years. See Khuder (May 2007) in Preventive Medicine (advance online publication)
An editorial in the same edition looks at this an other recent US studies and finds overall that smoke bans in work and public areas have led to a 27% reduction in heart disease hospital admissions. See Preventive Medicine editorial May 2007

Irish Republic: Smokefree Irish pubs improve health
16/4/07: The Irish Republic's smokefree pub laws have cut air pollution in pubs and improved barworkers' health, a study has found. The March 2004 bans have led to an 83% reduction in air pollution and an 80% cut in cancer-causing agents - leading to improved lung function in workers, says the study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. See BBC report 16/4/07

Sweden: Workers healthier in smokefree Swedish bars
16/2/07: One year after smokefree workplace changes, Swedish bar and restaurant workers are much less exposed to secondhand smoke and are showing significant health improvements, says a new study from the country's National Institute of Public Health. See summary and contact

UK: Scots barworkers healthier in smokefree workplaces
11/10/06: Barworkers in Scotland found their coughs, wheezes and asthma attacks fell significantly within a month of indoor smoke bans coming into effect. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the health impacts of workers from forty Scottish pubs. See the study

USA: Smoking cut, lives saved in smokefree New York
14/6/06: New York City Mayor Bloomberg has told health leaders the city's smokefree bars and restaurants policy has contributed to 200,000 less smokers and 60,000 less premature deaths a year. See excerpts from Bloomberg speech 14/6/06 See NY Clean Air Act impact report July 2006

NZ: Smokefree bars lead to health benefits
8/12/05: A year after New Zealand bars went indoor-smokefree, Ministry of Health figures show, as they have everywhere, significant health benefits. Download pdf of the report (under 10 December) at www.smokefreelaw.co.nz . See health groups' assessment (under 8 December) at www.asthmanz.co.nz.

USA: Heart attacks drop 27% just 18 months after smoke ban
14/11/05: A new study from the city of Pueblo, Colorado, US, shows heart attack hospital admissions had fallen by 27% just 18 months after a smoke ban in licensed venues. The study confirms the effectiveness of smoke bans in improving health and saving on hospital and other health costs. See report 14/11/05 Confirms Montana study (see below)

Norway: Smokefree bars an immediate health hit
12/10/05: Total indoor smoke bans in bars, clubs and restaurants from June 2004 have brought immediate health benefits, says the Norwegian government. Lower nicotine readings, better air quality and improved breathing have all shown up since the bans. See media report 12/10/05 See Norway Health Affairs Directorate report, 2005

World: Worldwide doctors' report shows success of smokefree laws
8/2/05: In a report published by the British Medical Association, doctors from eight countries applaud smokefree laws as a success in improving health. Results include falling lung cancer rates (California) and more. The doctors' report can be downloaded from www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/content/smokefreeworld

Irish Republic: Barworkers breathe easier after ban
18/9/05: The Republic of Ireland has improved the health of its barworkers by banning indoor smoking, says latest research. And without any harm to the pub trade! See Irish update, Sept 2005

NZ: Kiwi bar & workplace smoke ban cuts health risks
23/12/04: Health risks to non-smokers have been dramatically reduced since New Zealand introduced a total ban on smoking in bars on December 10, says a new study. Tests showed a 40% drop in levels of hydrogen cyanide gas, a major contributor to second-hand smoking deaths, in six pubs, casinos and clubs surveyed since a new law banning indoor smoking in public buildings took effect on December 10. See report, Sydney Morning Herald 23/12/04

USA: Smoke ban effective in eliminating cancer risk
8/9/04: A total indoor smoke ban in licensed venues in Baltimore, USA, has led to the virtual elimination of smoke-related carcinogenic harm in these venues, says a new study. See study media release 8/9/04

USA: Bans effective in cutting bar workers' poison
Early findings (March 2004) from a New York Health Department study shows bar workers' toxic intake slashed by 85% by just three months of smokefree venues laws - and Australian bar workers are asking what kind of behind-the-scenes lobbying is making our own governments so slow to protect the basic health rights of workers and the public here. See SmokeFree Australia media release 11/3/04

USA: Smokefree workplaces help drive Californian cancer down
Smokefree workplace laws - covering bars and nightclubs including gambling venues - have helped slash California's smoking rates - and cut lung cancer by almost 20% in the last 12 years. It's a lesson for Australian governments on the clear-cut public health benefits - and cost savings - of going smokefree. See report

USA: Immediate impact of smoke bans on heart attack rates
British Medical Journal 2004 (see under April 5: Sargent et al): Study from Helena, Montana, US showing 40% drop in heart attack rates in six months after statewide total smoke bans in public buildings. Sadly, the ban was later reversed - and heart attack rates shot back up to their previous level.

SMOKEFREE VENUES CUT SMOKING RATES

Australia: 40% of quitters say smokefree bars and clubs helped
30/6/08: 4 of every 10 people who quit smoking say smokefree changes in pubs and clubs have helped them do it, says new research from the Cancer Council Victoria. For smokers under 30, the rate was even higher: 45%. See Cancer Council Victoria media release 30/6/08

UK: Surge in quit rate follows smokefree laws
29/1/08: There's been a 28% increase in successful quit attempts through the UK National Health Service in the wake of the July 2007 bans on smoking in fully enclosed public places. The overall British smoking rate has fallen to its lowest-ever level of 22%, though this was falling before the new law. See BBC News report 29/1/08

Vic: Quitline calls jump 27% after Victorian pub smoke bans
1/8/07: Calls to the Quitline rose by 27% in the month following Victoria's ban on smoking in totally enclosed areas of pubs and clubs on July 1. Quit Victoria says the smokefree changes have had a "significant impact": on people's attempts to stop smoking. See Quit Victoria media release 1/8/07

WA: Smokefree WA pubs and clubs popular with patrons and help quitters
17/1/07: A new Curtin University survey in Western Australia shows smokefree licensed venue laws introduced in July 2006 have attracted patrons, have deterred few smokers from going out - but encouraged many to quit smoking. See Cancer Council WA media release 17/1/07 See survey backgrounder and summary

USA: Smoking cut, lives saved, no trade loss: NY Mayor lashes "scare campaign"
14/6/06: New York City Mayor Bloomberg has told health leaders the city's smokefree bars and restaurants policy has contributed to 200,000 less smokers and 60,000 less premature deaths a year. See excerpts from Bloomberg speech 14/6/06

Irish Republic: Pub smoke ban means less people, not more, smoking at home
9/6/06: Smokefree workplace changes in the Irish Republic have led to more smokefree homes, says government research - making nonsense of claims smoke bans in pubs would lead to more people smoking at home in the presence of children. See details and media report 9/6/06

Scotland: Quit products boom in Scotland after smokefree pubs
12/4/06: Sales of nicotine replacement products have doubled since Scotland’s smoke-free licensed venue laws legislation came into force. See report in The Scotsman 12/4/06

Northern Ireland: Smoke ban will help quitters
8/3/06: The ban on smoking in Northern Ireland will help almost 40% of smokers try to quit, a survey suggests. See BBC news report 8/3/06

Italy: Pub, restaurant smoking bans lead to big drop in cigarette sales
5/1/06: Cigarette sales have fallen more than 10% in the year since Italy's January 2005 ban on smoking in bars and other public places, according to the tobacco vendors' trade association, Assotabaccai. See report in Bloomberg News, 5/1/06

USA: Smokefree workplaces help employees quit
9/7/05: New study to be published in the American Journal of Public Health shows workers in smokefree workplaces are more than twice as likely to quit smoking than those in smoky workplaces. See the study

NSW: Smokefree pubs encourage quitting
4/5/05: Increasing smoke bans in pubs and clubs are encouraging many young smokers to quit, says a report in the Sydney Morning Herald. In the report, SmokeFree Australia warns that only outright bans will effectively protect public health. See SMH report 4/5/05

World: Worldwide doctors' report shows success of smokefree laws
8/2/05: In a report published by the British Medical Association, doctors from eight countries applaud smokefree laws as a success in lowering smoking rates. Results include falling cigarette sales and rising quit rates (Ireland - see reports below). The doctors' report can be downloaded from www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/content/smokefreeworld

Australia, USA, Canada, Germany: Smokefree workplaces drive down smoking rates
A 2002 review of the effect of workplace smoking bans in these four countries has found that smokefree workplaces not only protect the health of employees – they also help smokers quit. The study found that total smoke bans in workplaces "not only protect non-smokers from the dangers of passive smoking, they also encourage smokers to quit or to reduce consumption." The study says smokefree workplaces lead to smokers cutting their consumption by between two and four cigarettes a day. More…

New Zealand: Quitline flooded in leadup to pub/club smoking ban
6/12/04: Smokers wanting to quit besieged a national helpline ahead of the NZ workplace indoor smoking ban to take effect on December 10, 2004. So much for opponents of smokefree venues claiming they won't reduce smoking rates! See Stuff.nz report 6/12/04

Victoria: Smoke bans would help youth quit: study
1/10/04: Smoking bans in licensed venues would help people quit, especially young smokers, says a study from the Cancer Council Victoria. See Quit Victoria release 1/10/04 See the Cancer Council study This confirms earlier study: see Trotter study 2002

USA: New York City smoking rate drops 11% after indoor ban
A ban on indoor smoke in restaurants and bars has helped push New York City's smoking rate down by a massive 11%. See New York Times report 12/5/04

SMOKEFREE VENUES ARE POPULAR

USA: Smokefree California, 15 years on: 90% approval, youth smoking down, quitting up
25/1/05: A new study on the long-term impact of California's smokefree workplace laws shows 90% public support, lower smoking rates, a big impact on quitting and more. See report 25/1/05

SMOKEFREE VENUES IMPROVE AIR QUALITY

UK: English bar staff smoke exposure drops 95% and "minimal" trade impact
1/10/07: Employee exposure to secondhand smoke has fallen 95% since England's July 1 ban on smoking in totally enclosed areas - and there's been "minimal" impact on trade, despite hoteliers' predictions. The results in a preliminary study presented to a National Cancer Research Institute conference in Birmingham. See UK Guardian report 1/10/07

USA: Smokefree Rhode Island: business up, air pollution down
4/10/05: Smoke bans in the US state of Rhode Island have led indoor air pollution readings falling 96%. See report 4/10/05

USA: Air pollution down 89% after smoke bans
21/4/05: A study in the US shows air pollution dropping 89% after indoor smoke bans in bars and restaurants. See report 21/4/05

Back to index