Smoking, bans in places like restaurants, offices and public buildings reduce cases of heart attacks and heart disease, according to a report released Thursday by a federally commissioned panel of scientists.

The report, issued by the Institute of Medicine, concluded that exposure to secondhand smoke significantly increased the risk of having a heart attack among both smokers and nonsmokers…

“I don’t think there’s any question that the evidence is now overwhelming,” said Dr. Richard D. Hurt, director of nicotine dependence center at the Mayo Clinic, who was not involved in the report. “It is absolutely clear to me that secondhand smoke kills a lot of people, and one of the mechanisms by which it does is through exposure and the effect on the cardiovascular system.”

NY Times, by Pam Belluck, 10/15/09

Tags: Nicotine Dependence Center, Nicotine Dependence Center, smoking