North Carolina has scored another victory! About a week ago, you joined me in celebrating our record low infant mortality rates; now there’s evidence that since the enactment of smoke-free restaurants and bars in North Carolina in January 2010, our heart attack rates have dropped, too – by 21 percent!
Other states and countries have witnessed the same effect…. When we reduce individuals’ exposure to tobacco smoke – which contains chemicals that increase our blood pressure, heart rate and narrow our blood vessels – people suffer fewer heart attacks. As a result, we save lives and dollars. According to Dr. Jeffrey Engel, NC State Health Director, we saved an estimated $3.3 to $4.8 million in health care costs in 2010 due to the decline in heart attacks.
To read the full report, please click here.
– Willona Stallings, PHW Program Coordinator
Partners in Health and Wholeness is an initiative of the NC Council of Churches. Please visit our website to view more resources on health and faith: www.healthandwholeness.org.
