VOA慢速英语 研究表明禁烟令不会影响餐馆酒吧就业机会

　　North Carolina passed a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars; it takes effect in January. The new law may not go as far as some would like, but the action is historic. North Carolina is America's top tobacco producing state.

　　Other proposals are being debated across the country.

　　Opponents argue that smoking bans cause job losses in restaurants and bars. As a compromise, some bans exclude these establishments. But new research rejects this argument.

　　Elizabeth Klein, an assistant professor at the College of Public Health at Ohio State University, was the lead author. She says the study was the first to compare the economic effects of different kinds of smoking bans. She says the study looked at restaurants and bars because research suggests that people who drink alcohol are also more likely to smoke.

　　The study examined employment records for eight cities in Minnesota for a three-year period through two thousand six. These cities have differing policies on public smoking. The study also included two cities with no such restrictions.