Quake-weary Cantabs belly-laughed in their droves at this month's World Buskers Festival, confirming for the region's top medical officer that laughter is still the best medicine.
An estimated 330,000 people attended the 2013 SCIRT World Busker's Festival over 11 days in Christchurch.
Canterbury medical officer of health Dr Alistair Humphrey said it was no surprise that people were taking time out to have a laugh. "Cantabrians intuitively know that laughter is the best medicine, which is why we have one of the longest life expectancies in New Zealand," he said.
He referred to a study published in the Journal of the American Psychosomatic Society that showed laughter could significantly increase life expectancy.
And although the study's results may have been "slightly skewed" since it was carried out on 54,000 Norwegians, Dr Humphrey said: "I didn't want to take any chances ... so I took every opportunity to get down to the SCIRT World Buskers Festival and extend my life."