Persistent complaints and health concerns about the harmful
effects of second-hand smoke have lit a fire under many state and
local governments across the country to ban cigarette smoking in
bars, restaurants, and other workplaces. Although opponents of
smoking bans argue that the possible harmful effects of second-hand
smoke have been exaggerated, what do Americans believe?
Aggregated data from three years of polling on the subject show
that a majority of Americans -- 54% -- believe that second-hand
smoke is "very harmful" to adults. Another 32% believe second-hand
smoke is "somewhat harmful," while just 13% feel that second-hand
smoke is "not too harmful" or "not at all harmful."
Women, Young Adults More Likely to View Second-Hand
Smoke as Harmful
Women are significantly more likely than men to view second-hand
smoke as very harmful -- 63% vs. 44%, respectively.
Sixteen percent of men, compared with 8% of women, feel that
second-hand smoke is not too harmful or not at all
harmful.
Age also seems to play a role in whether people view second-hand
smoke as harmful. About 3 in 5 adults aged 18 to 29 feel
second-hand smoke is very harmful, significantly more than do those
in the older age groups -- belief that it is very harmful generally
declines with age.
Gender appears to play a larger role than age does in people's
perceptions about second-hand smoke. Less than a majority of men
under age 50 (46%) and over age 50 (41%) view second-hand smoke as
very harmful, and younger men are only slightly more likely than
older men to hold this view. On the other hand, a majority of older
and younger women believe second-hand smoke to be very harmful.
There is a larger age gap among women than men. Women under 50 are
significantly more likely than women aged 50 and older to feel this
way (67% compared with 58%).
Bottom Line
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates
that 60% of Americans show biological evidence of second-hand smoke
exposure, and that second-hand smoke causes 35,000 deaths from
coronary heart disease and 3,000 deaths from lung cancer among
adult nonsmokers each year. Given these statistics, it's no
surprise that 86% of Americans view second-hand smoke as at least
somewhat harmful. Men, however, seem to require a little more
convincing than women do.
*Results are based on telephone interviews with 3,016
national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted in July 2002, July
2003, and July 2004. For results based on this sample of national
adults, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2
percentage points.
For results based on the sample of 960 men and 1,050 women,
the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage
points.
For results based on the sample of 549 U.S. adults, aged
18-29 the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage
points. For results based on the sample of 1,257 U.S.
adults, aged 30-49, the maximum margin of sampling error is
±3 percentage points. For results based on the sample of 693
U.S. adults, aged 50-64, the maximum margin of sampling error is
±4 percentage points. For results based on the sample of 493
U.S. adults, aged 65+ the maximum margin of sampling error is
±4 percentage points.
For results based on the sample of 555 men, aged 18 to 49
and 566 women, aged 18 to 49, the maximum margin of sampling error
is ±4 percentage points.
