Unintended Consequences

Everything liberals touch turns to doo-doo. Here's the latest example.

DATELINE:paris, April 1, 2008 (AFP) - A ban on smoking in American bars has caused the number of accidents from drunken driving to surge, researchers have discovered. US jurisdictions with a smoking ban have seen, on average, a nearly 12-percent rise in the number of drink-related accidents at the wheel, they say in a study released on Wednesday. Instead of heading to their local bar for a drink and a smoke, smokers venture farther afield in search of a place where lighting up is still allowed, they say. The smokers may not be drinking more than before but they are certainly driving more -- and this is what is increasing the risk of a smash. "Banning smoking in bars increases the fatal accident risk posed by drunk drivers," the study says.