Reuters: Smoking bans cut heart attacks by a third

Communities that have passed laws banning smoking in public places, such as bars and restaurants, have seen a significant drop in heart attacks. American, Canadian, and European cities that implemented smoking bans had an average of 17 percent fewer heart attacks in the first year than communities that did not take such measures. After three years, heart attack rates in smoke-free communities fell as much as 36 percent. In the US, a nationwide ban could prevent as many as 225,000 heart attacks annually.