Tobacco Documents Online

1 THE I'::?E?ENDEt(T ST:1Tii:YIDE SJRbcY OF FU8:1C O?;UCU E'$TAuUSi-wEDi IJ: i'E:i 81 MERVIN 01 FIELD. 234 Nor.t'Street, :aa F!+_n:rs:o 9d1111 t315au:a5163 COPYRIGHT 1984 BY'THE FIELD INSTITUTE. FOR PVBLICATIIDN BY'SSIBSIGtIBERS ONLY. Release 11237 Release date: Wednesday. February 29,. 1984 STRONG SEN4'IMENT'TOiRESTRICT IMPORTANT: Contract for'e:his SHOKZNG IN PUBLIC PLACES. service is subject to revocation if publlication or broadcast takes place before release date or if contents are divulged to persons By Mervin D. Field outside of subscriber,staff prior. Di!rector, The California Poll to reliease tisa. (ISSN 0195-45'201): If former smokers and those who have never smoked had their way, there would'be a range of restrictions put on smokers who want to light up in public places. / Underlying a widespread negative:fee3i'ng about smoking is the belief that'sawking is not only hazardous to the heaSth of smokers but to: non- salokers who are nearby and breathe the fumes. The proportion of adul!ts who smoke has been declining in recent years, while the ranks of ex-smokers have been increasing to the point where they now outnumber current smokers in this state (3St to 26%). Ibn-a.okers account for 391 of the public. With regard to swoki'ng in restaurants, 77% of'the pubsic,prefer that it be limited to spec,ial saloking'areas and 16t opt for outright prohibition. In work places, 70% favor special areas for smokers and 26% think it should be banned. Oh airp,lanes. 5,91 want special' smoking areas, but a.large ainor- ity (3t!t) believes all smoking should be prohibited. A majority (SBt) farors specia,ll smoking areas in hotels and! swte3is, but one in three (33%) opts for no restrictions. On buses and trains, halflthe public (S'Ot) wants special areas for saokers, but an almost equal sized proportion (46%) thinks smoking should be prohibited4 These: findinqs co.e froa a statewide California !o1!1 eurvey conducted' in early February in which a raross section of 743 adults was asked about their current and forsler smoki'ng,habits and how they feel about a number of proposals having to do with,the rights of smokers and non-sslokers in public places. The following table illustrates bow the proportion of current smokers has declined in the past four years with ex-o.okers nov,representing: a larger segment than smokers. Incidence of smoking,among CalifornialaduSsa 1984 1980 t t Current smoker 26 32' Former smoker 35 26 Non-smoker 39, 42 74 CarAwwe !Pett Ns .OnMeA icwlliwarslT , siwce ]f57' es anwyeotwOtntn iwqptdr i wWia . tsewtired MMK eo,wrow :wes . sernce :..lhe pe1r . is swe of 1ee ee.wces ^e..0e0 M. The l.Nd. /qlAute. aww:O1o1A. wcw4y.rtnsn . er~enuetow N.Med i1o 4we f1r0/ e/ OW1.c, oorNOw ewe belta.-w..w ..oc.al ad Ool.l,cal i Yt1R3. hkl(Kr<) Ms1AYtel1{O/Wa1ed.14.MKDWIN!lie'.10•.wqetl oOSllAktlnRUMMlal+e/1 e! yetyl {WRT: (Mldif';S 101he pIDGEea0f0/. (rFet rnuGhc bwnelor;. TAe Itlt•tel[ rete+/M:11s Wyqecl 10e•1iKlMMK, aDreR'wew7a1,.1weEY:. N_,t, e aMYrce6

The California Polli Page~ tw+o #1237 Overwhelmingly large proportions of former smokers and non-smokers believe that smoking i!s very hazardous to the health of all smokers says this. of a smoker, while half How hazardous is smok!ing, Current Former Non- to the health of' a smoker? Statewade Smoker Smoker Smoker, t 1 % t Very, hazardous 76 S0 86 M Somewhat hazardous 22 46 13 14 Not too,hazardous 2 4 1 1 Not at all hazardous There is also a strong belief that the smoke produced by smokers is hazardous to non-smokers who are nearby. How hazardous is a smoker•s smoke to the health of: a non-saoker? Statrwidb Current Smoker, Former Smoker Non- Smoker t t i t Very hazardou s 44 17 53 54 Somewhat hazardous 411 53 35: 36. Not too hazardousi 10 21 C 6 Not at all hazardous 4 8 5 3 No opinion l 1i 1 1 Substantial majorities of former smokers and those who have never smoked say they, are bothered by the tobacco smoke of,others. Cigar smoke bothers not only former and non-smokers, but more than half of current smokers as we11,, Cigarette and!piipe smoking i's bothersome to a majority of former and non-smokers, but they do not offeiwd most of the current smokers. How much does the smoke of a cigarette smoker bother You? Statewide Current Smoker Former Smoker Non- Smoker I i' t t. A great deal 38 7 431 4'9 Sase 24 13 27' 28 ! Only a little 14 19 16; 112 Not at all 23 60 1,31 10 No opinion 1 li 1 1 How siuch does the smi aciarsmoker botherou? A great leal 58 37 66' 66 Some 19 21 17 19 Only a l'ittle 1:0 13 9 8 Not at all 12 2!9 7 6 Ho opinion 1 - li 1 How much does the smoke of a i e smoker bother you? reat ea1 ]A 25 13 30: 33' , g Some 28 17 2!8 32 N Only, a little 18 12 23' 1'9. Q Not at all 26 58 li8' 15 N No opinion •' - 1 1 ~ ~. • Lasa than ons-lulf of onr pencent.. ~ N-3 ~ ~

The California Poll Page three 41237, Sy, a 58% to 391'margin, current smokers agree that smokers should re- frain from smoking in the presence of non-smokers. Former and nonrsmokers say this by even larger margins. Smokers should refrain from smoking in the Current Former lfon- presence,of non-smokers Statewide Smoker Smoker Smoker. t 1 1 t Agree 7< 58 75 79. Disagree 2t 3!9 24 19 No opinion 2 3' 1 2 The sample in, this current California Poll survey was asked' how smoking should be handled in a number of specific public places. Large majorities favor the designation of speciali smoking areas for restaurants, work places, airplanes, and hotels and motels. In the,case of restaurants and work places, few (16t) ' want smoking entirely prohibited. However, for airplanes, a sizeable minority (386) would like all' smoking banned. Ia+ even larger proportion (K6'1) favors a prohibition of smoking on buses and trains. Smoking in specific public places Designate special smoking areas Smoking, should be prohibited' No restriction No on smoking, opinio n Restaurants 77V 16 7 • Work places 70% 16 12 2 Airplanes 59%, 3!8 . 3 ' Hotels andi moteiis 58% ' 7' 33 2 Buses and trains 50% /16' 3 1 • Lera Lhan i orr-tiaif'of one peraant. The percentages shown in the above two tables parailel' findings of a nationali (Gallup) survey taken for the American Lung Association last year. -30- N-4

INi'ORA6PITION ABOUT THE SURVEY 11'237 SAMPLE DE1'AILS'The survey was taken among a representative cross section of the California adult publi~c. Interviewing was done by telephoneiFebruary 1 through 9, 1984 during the late after- noon and evening,on weekdays and all day on weekends. The sample consisted, of 743! adults, including 194!current smokers, 257 former smokers and 546 non-smokers. QUESTIONS ASKED Do youlnow smokeior not? (If 'no, don't smoke') Did you ever smoke cigarettes, a pipe or cigars? Generally speaking, do you think that smoking is very hazard- ous, not too hazardous or not at all hazardous to a smoker's hea 1'th? Do you think that a smoker's smoke is very hazardous, some- what hazardous, not too~hazardou!s or not at all hazardous to the health of a non-smoker?' When you are in the company afl someone who i's smoking a cigarette, how much does their smoke bother you - does it bother you a great deal, some, only a little or not at all? When youlare inithe company of' someone who i's smoking a cigar, how much does their smoke both you -- does it bother you a great deal. some, only a little or not at aSl?, when you are in the company of'someone,who i's smoking a pipe, how much does their smoke bother you -- does it bother you a great deal, some, only a little or not at all!? Do you agree or'di'sagree with the following statement: Smokers should refrain from smoking in the presence of'non-smokers? Next 11 am going to read you a number of different public places. For each one I'read Ilwould like you to tell me whether you think there should be no restrictions placed on smoking in these pliaces:. a special area set aside for smokers, or whether smoking, shou3d not be allowed at alli in these places. (SEE RELEASE FOR ITEMS'READ.)