Why do so many Europeans smoke?

Tatyana said:
The irony is that all hospitals have a smoking ban on their grounds.
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I wish that were true, for it would be sensible - it's a depressing sight at the maternity hospital, I can tell you. However you do know that the Scottish NHS is entirely separate from the English one, albeit with common clinical standards, and has its own rules?
 
I do miss having a cigarette in a pub or cafe. However, I've accepted that this desire doesn't trump other people's desires not to breath it in.
 
23_Tauri said:
For those of you interested in smoking bans and what effect they may or may not have had on trade in bars, pubs and on public health we had a debate back in March- April that included these issues:

Is Passive Smoking Really Harmful to Health?
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Heart attacks fall after smoking ban

“Heart attack hospital admissions have fallen since the smoking ban,” reported The Times. This news is based on a study on the rates of hospital admissions for heart attacks before and after the smoking ban was introduced in England on July 1 2007. Researchers estimated a 2.4% reduction in heart attack emergency admissions to hospital (or 1,200 fewer admissions) in the 12 months following the ban.

This well-conducted study shows a clear association between the smoking ban and a decreased rate of hospital admissions for heart attack. As the study did not look at smoking status or people’s exposure to second-hand smoke before the ban, it is not possible to say how much of the decline is due to less exposure to second-hand smoke and how much is due to people giving up smoking. Further research that assesses the ban’s long-term impact and its effect on other diseases is warranted.
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jimbob said:
Heart attacks fall after smoking ban
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Hang on...
Researchers estimated a 2.4% reduction in heart attack emergency admissions to hospital (or 1,200 fewer admissions) in the 12 months following the ban.
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They estimated a small drop in hospital admissions and then in a very misleading fashion the word 'associated' is used in this press release. 'Association' implies causation when nothing of the sort has been substantiated. If you read further, the article actually states that between 2000 and 2008 there was a decrease in the number of emergency admissions for heart attack. This decrease was accelerated from around 2002. So the 2.4% in the 15 months after July 2007 indicates the continuation of a trend. There is nothing here to indicate that the smoking ban caused a drop in heart attack hospital admissions.

Data from large populations in the USA have not demonstrated a correlation between smoking bans and reduction in hospital admissions for heart attacks:
Do Smoking Bans cause a 27 to 40% drop in admissions for myocardial infarction in hospitals?
 
Architect said:
I wish that were true, for it would be sensible - it's a depressing sight at the maternity hospital, I can tell you.
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Personally, in an over-crowded country I find the sight of maternity hospitals quite depressing.
 
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