Coronary Heart Disease Deaths And Decreased Smoking Prevalence in Massachusetts, 1993-2003

According to a study published in the August, 2008 issue of the American Journal Of Public Health in the ten years since the implementation of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program in 1993, the smoking prevalence rate dropped 29% and the coronary heart disease mortality rates dropped 31 %  with 425 fewer deaths which resulted in 3,365 extra life-years.

As a public health intervention, controlling tobacco use in populations has big health dividends. However, they raise interesting moral issues such as should people be able to engage in life damaging behaviors such as smoking? Should this be an individual choice or should governmental intervention make such choices difficult?

Here is the abstract from the AJPH.

We used the previously validated IMPACT coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality model to estimate the CHD deaths attributable to reductions in smoking prevalence following the introduction of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program (MTCP) in 1993. A 29% and 31% decline in smoking prevalence and CHD mortality rates occurred, respectively (from 1993 to 2003). A total of 425 fewer CHD deaths, which generated approximately 3365 extra life-years, were attributable to decreased smoking prevalence. With these results in mind, a comprehensive tobacco control program should be sustained and supported.

Coronary Heart Disease Deaths And Decreased Smoking Prevalence in Massachusetts, 1993-2003 -- Kabir et al. 98 (8): 1468 -- American Journal of Public Health.

Comments

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[e cigarette]

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[Coursework UK]

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[Cheap Cigarettes]

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