The group of doctors who conducted the study said that the ban on smoking in bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, and other public places helped cut the heart-attack rate by more than half this past summer.

"It led to an immediate and dramatic decline in the number of heart attacks we saw," said Dr. Richard Sargent, co-author of the study.

Helena's smoking ban went into effect last June, but lasted for only six months because of a legal challenge.

The study said that heart-attack rates returned to their usual level after the indoor-smoking ban was lifted.

The study is the first to examine the impact of smoking bans on public health. The findings were presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Cardiology, held recently in Chicago.

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