On Staying in Tune

According to this morning's Times, it helps to put out the cigar:

Smoking bans save . . . accordions.

The 2004 ban on smoking in Ireland has not only improved the air in pubs, but also has improved the quality of music, Dublin physicians report today in the British Journal of Medicine.

Particulates from secondhand smoke accumulate within and damage accordions, concertinas, melodeons and Uilleann bagpipes, which are favored by musicians for their traditional pub sessions.

More here.