Smoking ban would increase St. Louis drunk driving deaths!

New research warns that a strict St. Louis smoking ban, by causing folks who like to smoke and drink at the same time to drive farther to find and return from "smoking allowed" venues, would increase the St. Louis drunk driving death toll at least 13 percent. This means people who have nothing to do with smoking and drinking in bars would die due to the smoking ban. I find this unacceptable public health policy! Public health laws should be judged by their effects in the real world rather than their good intentions. A common sense public health policy for St. Louis would allow many well-ventilated or filtrated “smoking allowed” venues within walking distance of most homes.

http://www.econ.iastate.edu/calendar/papers/CottiPaperDrunkDriving.pdf