Posted Friday --- April 4, 2008 -- 5:00pm

Study: Banning smoking increases drunken driving

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Enacting city smoking bans appears to increase drunken driving.

That's according to a new national study of arrests by Wisconsin researchers.

It says fatal accidents involving alcohol increased in ban areas and along their borders after smoking bans are enacted.

The researchers think that's because people drive farther to find places with outdoor smoking areas or to drink in areas without bans.

One of the researchers, Scott Adams of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, says the answer might be a federal ban on smoking in public places. He says that would help eliminate traveling to drink.

But Smoke Free Wisconsin Executive Director Maureen Busalacchi says she doesn't think it's right to link smoking bans to drunken driving. She says people could be traveling for a variety of reasons.

AP