According to new poll; Majority of Kentuckians support smoke-free law | News

KY (FOX19) - . According to the 2012 Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP), about 6 in 10 Kentucky adults (59 percent) and more than half of Northern Kentuckians (53 percent) favor a statewide smoke-free law. “Support for the law has been growing since the Kentucky Health Issues Poll began asking the question in 2010,” says Ann Barnum, Senior Program Officer, Substance Use Disorders, for The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati.

               KHIP, conducted annually, identifies what residents think about various health issues that affect communities, the state and the nation. It is jointly funded by The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Since 2010, KHIP has asked Kentucky adults about their support for smoke-free policies in all public places.

               Secondhand smoke poses serious health risks. “While other precautions have been taken,” explains Barnum, “smoke-free environments are the only way to fully protect nonsmokers from the hazards of smoking.” To reduce these risks, many Kentucky communities have adopted smoke-free policies. The Kentucky legislature is considering a statewide law banning smoking in all indoor public places.

               Support for the law increases as age and income increase. Support is higher among African Americans (71 percent) than whites (57 percent). Among respondents who were registered to vote, more than 6 in 10 favored a statewide smoke-free law (62 percent). Just 50 percent of nonvoters favored a law. Republicans (64 percent) and Democrats (59 percent) both reported higher levels of support for a statewide smoke-free law than Independents (44 percent).

               There is a clear relationship between support for a statewide smoke-free law and whether one smokes. Of those who had never smoked, 3 in 4 (75 percent) favored a smoke-free law, while 2 of 3 former smokers (68 percent) also supported a law. About 4 in 10 smokers (37 percent) favored a statewide smoke-free law.

               More information about Kentuckians’ views of the smoke-free law, and other topics is available online at https://www.healthfoundation.org/kentucky-health-issues-poll.