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r Public Support ior a State Law~ Restricting Smol:ing in Public Places Preparedi for the Ameri'can Heart Association of' Michigan and the American Lung,Association of Michigan By Harry Perlstadt, frh,.1D., MLF.H. Associate F'rofessor of Sociology,, Michigan State University Efforts to restrict smol:ing in public places through legislation has become a sallient issue in Mi'ch'ig,an. In order to assertain' public opinion on this topi'c, the American Heart Association of' Michigan and the American Lung Association of Michi'gan contracted with the Institute for Social Research Survey Research Center for a telephone survey of 750 Michigan res'idents. The survey was conducted in early October of 1984. The resultss have been analyzed and are weighted for area of the state, number a of telephones and number of adlults in the household. The results indicate that 68.5 percent of Michigan resi'dents stroncoly , favor a state law to 1'imit smoFcing to designat'ed smmokirngl areas in public places such as stores,, schools, offices, work places and auditoriums and that 82.6 percent generally supported such legislation. Thi!s type of legislation even has the support of a majority of current smokers, with 56.2percent strongly 4avoring such legislation a'nd' 73.6 percent generally favoring it. Among, recent ex-smokers, 66.5 percent strong l y f avored , and 8'1 . 1 percent generally favored restrictions an smoking. As expected•„ those who, N-20. ZAZ5684387

SUf,'.'EY R[F•URT F'f`a:;t- ?' ' F•EF:LSThDT n,ever srtot.ed were most sLnpq,orti ve, wi th 76.0 stron'gl y in+avor and 89.7 qeneralliy favoring this tyNc of' lor),islation. I n general , appiror: i matel y twu-t hn rds, of' al l ma jor groups strong l y f avor 1 egis l at i on desi qnr?d to 1'i'mi t smohi ng to desi gnated areas. For e::ampl e, 72.5 percent of thcr women compared to 6'. 6 percent of the men were strongil y in favor;, 69.0 percen't of' the whi!tes and 67.6 percent of' the bi aeks were strong;l y i n f avor; and 73.4 percent of' union househo3ds compared with 67.6 percent'of, non-union households were stronalv in, favor. Strongest support e:eists outsilde of Detroit (7'1.1 percent of out state residents stronqly favor such legislatilon compared wit'h 63.2 percent of Detroit residents), among the better educated i6f3.7 percent of respondents witl, college degrees compared with a4.5 percent of those wilth less t-lnzin hiuhi school education), and Protestant and Jews (72.6 percent ot Protestants and' 73.3 percentt of Jews surveyed were,strongly in favor compared with 64.9 percent of the CathoS'ics surveyed~). Household income was also examirned. The highest level of support was found among households with annual' -incomes between $10 to s15,0001 (76.0 p'erc'ent strongly in favor) while the lowest level : of' support was found among households with incomes between $35to t50,000 (60.2 percen't strongly in favor). If general support is considered, the Z35 to t50,0U0 grouAp ri'ses to 77.7 percent iln N0 Among residents who identified themsel~ves as kepublicans,~' b6. O percent were, stror,gl y' i n f'avor ; as Dcrmocrats,, 6e. 4 percent VM~ w N-21 (~ ~. favor.

T SUPF+LV r:Ef•Of:l 1'i%u;E ': - PERLSTAD'l C t,ere strrrnqly in favor, and as i'ndetrr,ndents 70.1 percent were str orroliy in favor. Slupf,ca,-t within each party, hiowever, is apparently diivided, since itror,g E'":epiubli'cans were more stronqly in f e.vor of' suchi l egi s1 ati on than weal: kepatul' i carns (I71. 2 percent to 6'2.7 percent) and weah Democrats were more strongly in favor than strong Democrats (61.9 percent to 71.0 percent). PoS i ti cal ildeo1 ogy may have. some i nf l uence on the above party f'indings. Only 56.7 Nercent of those who said they were po1 i ti ca1 moderates strongliy supoortedl the proposed legisl:.ti'on compared with 6's.8 percent of tho_e wfro said they were political liberals and 71.1 percent of' those who saidl *t'hey were political conservrtives. M,:ny respondcnts refiuscd or did not answer this questi on and percent o+ them strongl y supported restrictions ur, sn.ol:ing in public places. N ~-72.