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Public regulation has never been able to anticipate what smart and not-so-smart people can come up with. Most recently, ridehailing, e.g., Uber and Lyft, headed on down the road long before government could catch up. Short-term-rentals—and here we have Airbnb and VRBO—have been a boon for some homeowners and the bane of local governments and the neighbors who suffer with party houses next door.

Now comes ax throwing in bars. It’s hard to find out where this inane and insane idea started. We do know that 13 years ago, the Backyard Axe Throwing League was formed in Toronto among a group that had set up a target in Matt Wilson’s backyard. Wilson became the founder and CEO of the league. The league, in turn, became one of the founders of the National Axe Throwing Federation (NATF), with 36 members and 6,000 throwers. Like others “sports,” there are many other leagues, such as the World Axe Throwing League.

Go to Wikipedia, the source of all things obvious, and you can read this important caution: “The sport of axe throwing deals with a potentially dangerous weapon, so the throwing area must be kept safe at all times. … A First Aid kit and a person trained in First Aid and CPR should be at hand in the event of an emergency.”

Then come the defenders, such as ClutchAxes, a company selling throwing axes, which makes the oh-so-compelling argument that it is safe because ax throwing is mostly done in bars: “[I]t goes to show just how safe it really is when just about every single location offers alcohol. As previously mentioned, the people that work inside are trained to spot misconduct almost instantly, and the logistics of it all really makes it difficult to cause an accident even if you are being careless.”

Proof positive of the inherent danger can be found in the lawsuit recently brought against Fox News because “Fox and Friends” host Peter Hegseth overthrew an ax and hit Jeff Propserie, causing permanent injuries when the ax hit his elbow broadside. It could have been much worse.

It is a mixed bag across the country and here in Connecticut. Myrtle Beach denied an outdoor one in 2018, but this year two will open indoors. Brooklyn Community Board 1 denied a beer and wine license for “Bury the Hatchet,” a Greenpoint bar, because of the ax throwing. In Enfield, Connecticut, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved one. That one joins others in Newington, Hartford and Wallingford, and another reportedly forthcoming in Fairfield County.

Is the risk worth the reward? Ax throwing is fine, if that’s your thing, but not where alcohol is served, unless the activity could be limited to those who are sober. The SuperCharged electric go-kart track in Montville has a full-service bar and reserves the right to require a Breathalyzer test for any driver. No one can race if they are above 0.00. That may be impractical elsewhere.

Perhaps if the ax throwing area were off on its own as they typically are, participants took a breathalyzer test, threw their axes, and then adjourned to the bar to brag about their skill … that might work and would be fun. But starting in the bar and advancing to ax throwing is not a good idea.

Connecticut needs to take a long, hard look at this combination of ax throwing and alcohol, and consider banning alcohol where people are throwing axes, or requiring all participants to pass a Breathalyzer test, or at least mandating some significant insurance, safe design, and state-approved informed consent. The current operators in Connecticut appear to being doing a good job in protecting their patrons, but darts are one thing—axes are quite another.