Open AccessEffects of Smoke-Free Laws on Alcohol-Related Car Crashes in California and New York: Time Series Analyses From 1982 to 2008
Author(s) -
Debra H. Bernat,
Mildred M. Maldonado-Molina,
Andrew Hyland,
Alexander C. Wagenaar
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2012.300906
Subject(s) - crash , smoke , poison control , injury prevention , seat belt , blood alcohol , occupational safety and health , human factors and ergonomics , alcohol , suicide prevention , environmental health , law , medicine , engineering , political science , computer science , waste management , automotive engineering , chemistry , biochemistry , programming language
We examined effects of New York and California's statewide smoke-free restaurant and bar policies on alcohol-related car crash fatalities. We used an interrupted time-series design from 1982 to 2008, with 312 monthly observations, to examine the effect of each state's law on single-vehicle-nighttime crashes and crashes involving a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 grams per deciliter or greater. Implementation of New York and California's statewide smoke-free policies was not associated with alcohol-related car crash fatalities. Additionally, analyses showed no effect of New York's smoke-free policy on alcohol-related car crash fatalities in communities along the Pennsylvania-New York border. Statewide smoke-free restaurant and bar laws do not appear to affect rates of alcohol-related car crashes.