Are Smoking Bans Killing People?

[alanf]

From:

http://www.economist.com/world/na/di...ry_id=10966152


Unlucky strikes
Apr 3rd 2008
From The Economist print edition

America's smoking bans are causing fatal accidents


BANNING smoking in public places is supposed to save lives. It encourages people to smoke less, so they do themselves and those around them less harm. That, at least, is the theory. Whether it works may depend on how uniform anti-smoking legislation is.

Although many countries have introduced national bans, America has taken a piecemeal approach. A number of states, counties and municipalities have introduced various types of bans, and have enforced them with varying degrees of rigour.

The problem with this, say Scott Adams and Chad Cotti, economists at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is that smoking bans seem to have been followed by an increase in drunk-driving and in fatal accidents involving alcohol. In research published in the Journal of Public Economics, the authors find evidence that smokers are driving farther to places where smoking in bars is allowed.

The researchers analysed data from 120 American counties, 20 of which had banned smoking. They found a smoking ban increased fatal alcohol-related car accidents by 13% in a typical county containing 680,000 people. This is the equivalent of 2.5 fatal accidents (equivalent to approximately six deaths). Furthermore, drunk-driving smokers have not changed their ways over time. In areas where the ban has been in place for longer than 18 months, the increased accident rate is 19%.

The findings, say the pair, are consistent with the suggestion that smokers are driving farther to alternative places to drink. This may be because they are driving to bars with outdoor seating, or to bars which are not enforcing the smoking ban.

Another explanation is that some smokers are “jurisdiction shopping” to places where they may puff. Accident rates can be especially high where border-hopping to still-smoky bars is possible. Accidents in Delaware county in Pennsylvania increased by 26% after the next-door state of Delaware introduced a smoking ban in 2002. Similarly, when Boulder county banned smoking, fatal accidents in Jefferson county, between Boulder county and Denver, went up by 40%. How this weighs up against the long-term health effects of smoking bans is unclear. But it serves as a warning to well-meaning legislators.

[CPJim-cl]

That is really interesting. Thanks for posting it.

[BrianEE93-cl]

I wondered about that. Thanks for the post!

[brianhewitt-cl]

D'Oh the irony! I just knew there would be some bad unintended consequences of these bans. (Beyond putting cigar bars and shops out of business, that is.)

[elmomac]

Well I new there would have to be fall out of some sort. I know here you can only smoke in bars that require you to be 21. People are bound to find refuge in smoke friendly places.

[Doogie]

interesting. I actually have to drive to my local B&M that serves alcohol and then i don't drink. when the weather changes i will go to my local bar and smoke and drink becouse i can walk home.

[nativetexan_1]

Great post. There are ALWAYS unintended consequences.

[CHRIS7891011]

awesome post. Thanks for sharing it.