In a study published in the British Medical Journal today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that secondhand smoke can significantly increase the risk of heart attack.

The CDC looked at the number of heart attacks in Helena, Montana, before and after a ban on indoor smoking. The data showed that the number of heart attacks dropped by 40 percent for the six-month period when the ban was in effect, but rose to to earlier levels when the ban was struck down in court.

The data in Helena was a small set -- only 24 people suffered heart attacks during the six-month ban. For the five years before and after the ban, the average number of heart attacks reported during the same six months was 40.

Get the Story:
Secondhand Smoke Poses Heart Attack Risk, CDC Warns (The Washington Post 4/23)
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Get the Study:
How acute and reversible are the cardiovascular risks of secondhand smoke? (British Medical Journal April 24, 2004)