Smoking Bans and FederalismMike Rappaport

Marginal Revolution reports, according to a new article in the Journal of Public Economics:

A rigorous statistical examination has found that smoking bans increasedrunken-driving fatalities. One might expect that a ban on smoking inbars would deter some people from showing up, thereby reducing thenumber of people driving home drunk. But jurisdictions with smokingbans often border jurisdictions without bans, and some bars may skirtthe ban, so that smokers can bypass the ban with extra driving. Thereis also a large overlap between the smoker and alcoholic populations,which would exacerbate the danger from extra driving. The authorsestimate that smoking bans increase fatal drunken-driving accidents byabout 13 percent, or about 2.5 such accidents per year for a typicalcounty.

One might think this would lead advocates of smoking bans to reconsider their support, but my guess is that it will only lead them to argue for wider smoking bans.  The Supreme Court allowed the 21 year old drinking age on the ground that it would prevent 18 year olds from driving across jurisdictions for alcohol.  I wouldn’t be surprised that this kind of finding would lead some people to advocate national smoking bans. 

Hat tip to Marginal Revolution.