My Rapid Response (E-Letter) Published in Candian Medical Association Journal

My rapid response (e-letter) to the study purporting to show that a decline in cardiovascular disease in Toronto was attributable to the smoking ban was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. In this response, I present the actual data, conducting the central analysis that is necessary to answer the research question. This analysis was not conducted in the published study. The results indicate that there was a decline in cardiovascular disease of equal magnitude in the comparison cities, thus negating the conclusion that the observed changes in heart disease in Toronto were attributable to the smoking ban. It will be interesting to see how the authors of the study respond.