P3874 Decrease of cardiovascular disease after total tobacco ban in

France : first analysis

Bertand Dautzenberg [1,2]
1 Pneumologie, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, Paraguay;
2 Office Français de Prévention du Tabagisme, OFT, Paris, France

The tobacco ban occurred in France in 2 steps

1. February 2007 : Total smoke ban (with delay for hospitality sector).
2. January of 2008 : end of the delay for restaurants, hotels and bars (hospitality
sector).

Methods:
As a part of the monthly indicator (ImETS), we assess the rate of hearth attacks and
strokes for patients less 65 years old from 32 emergency units recruiting 120 000
patients a month using the OSCOUR databases.

Results:
No positive effects on hearth attack and stroke has been reported during the first phase
of the ban.
A significant decrease of admissions for hearth attacks, in particular for people under 65
years old (In France the drop is estimate between 11% and19%: best estimate-15% if
we take into account the data of the two first weeks of February).

Figure1 : Rate of hearth attacks/100000 admissions, patients ≤65 years old [repris du
communiqué de presse de l’OFT du 23 février 2008]

A decrease of the level of hospital admissions for stroke (with order of magnitude similar
with the hearth attacks decrease) was also recorded.
At the same time decreases of the respiratory and ocular symptoms in employees of the
hospitality sector has been recorded. (Drop 13% to 67% between January 2007 and
January 2008 according to symptoms).

Conclusion:
The fast improvement of health need to be confirmed by others studies but they are an
encouragement in applying that decree to all the sectors; a major lesson for the
countries that hold an authorization for smoking in hospitality sector; a confirmation of
the early profit of not being exposed to second-hand smoking.

Source : ERS, tuesday, october 7th 2008 - Thematic Poster Session 377.
Health effects of passive smoking and of a smoking ban
http://www.ersnet.org/learning_resources_player/abstract_print_08/main_frameset.htm
pdf : http://www.ersnet.org/learning_resources_player/abstract_print_08/files/377.pdf