Check back often to hear more voices about smoke-free in St. Louis City!

Shown above are various video interviews of local people being asked about St. Louis City becoming Smoke-Free.

Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:49pm BST

LONDON (Reuters) - Smoking bans are an effective way of preventing heart disease, getting cigarette users to quit and protecting children from second-hand smoke, a World Health Organization (WHO) report issued on Monday said.

The report by scientists at the WHO's International Agency for Cancer Research urged more countries to adopt smoking bans in public and at the workplace, saying there was enough evidence to prove they work, without hurting businesses such as restaurants and bars.

The researchers involved in the WHO report -- who included John Pierce of the University of California, San Diego, and Maria Leon at the International Agency for Cancer Research --- reviewed more than 900 studies and government reports looking at the impact of smoking bans across the world.

They cited studies that suggest smoke-free workplaces have lead to a 10 to 20 percent decrease in hospital admissions for heart disease a year after a smoking ban.

The WHO says smoking kills about four million people each year, causing a quarter of deaths related to heart disease.

(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Caroline Drees)

Click HERE for the full story.

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