Smoking bans reduce heart attacks associated with secondhand smoke, according to a report released today by the Institute of Medicine. "It's clear that smoking bans work," said Lynn Goldman, professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore and chair of the committee of experts that wrote the report. "Bans reduce the risks of heart attack in nonsmokers as well as smokers. Further research could explain in greater detail how great the effect is for each of these groups and how secondhand smoke produces its toxic effects. However, there is no question that smoking bans have a positive health effect." The committee reviewed 11 studies that showed decreased heart attacks after smoking bans were implemented, including two studies that analyzed changes in the hospitalization rate for nonsmokers.