One Fifth U.S. Voters Believe Smoking Should Be Illegal

by polylogue | December 20, 2008 at 11:56 am

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Recent Rasmussen Report survey on smoking show more than 20 percent of voters believe smoking should be illegal, while 70 percent disagree.

Over one-out-of-five U.S. voters (22%) say the federal government should outlaw tobacco smoking, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Seventy percent (70%) disagree, and nine percent (9%) are undecided.

That support should come as good news for the 15% of voters who currently smoke -- unless, of course, they’re trying to quit.

Only 14% of smokers think tobacco smoking should be against the law. Eighty percent (80%) are opposed, and five percent (5%) aren’t sure.

Twenty-two percent (22%) of former smokers say smoking should be outlawed, along with 23% of those who have never smoked.

Generally, those segments of the voting population that have the highest levels of smoking are the ones most likely to favor making it illegal.

But 71% of voters also believe that tobacco companies should not be held liable for health problems that current smokers develop.

Sixty-two percent of smokers agree.

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Aaron Varga (not verified)

at 14:00 on December 20th, 2008

As a smoker, cigarette smoking is something I do and it is apart of my life. I am actually quitting for the new year, but for the rest of the smoking world, making cigarettes illegal quite possibly, in my mind, would be terrible. Sorry to say, but it's an addiction and with that, people are going to be greatly affected by this possible change in law. I realize it would help in the health department, but you are distorting and changing peoples lives, really. I have never faced addiction until cigarettes and I'll tell you, it's amazing how hard it is to just stop. I feel that many people would like to quit and will do so, but tobacco has been apart of America for a while and to just outlaw cigarettes might be a poor decision in my opinion. I think they've already done enough with making smoking in public basically impossible in most areas I've been. If you want to do it, you should be able to at least smoke in the comfort of your own home. All in all, it's a heavy topic for many, including myself.

polylogue

at 15:16 on December 20th, 2008

First of all, this was only a survey question and at this point there is no possibility of cigarettes being banned. It is a non-starter politically. It is only the opinion of a small percentage of Americans. I agree that making cigarettes illegal would cause a brutal black market, which would lead to violence and other nasty things.

Thanks for your comments.

duo

at 15:25 on December 20th, 2008

Obviously you have no stock in private prisons. It would be a marvelous thing from the stockholders' point of view. Taxpayers pay around $50,000 per year, per inmate and two or three times more annually for a really sick one - like someone with lung cancer. So, buy yourself some prison stock and you might warm up to the idea of making smoking not a personal decision, but a crime. They probably think being late for work twice in a year should be a felony, too. Anything to keep the stock coming in.

polylogue

at 18:30 on December 20th, 2008

I don't. But not a bad investment option given the economic climate. Recessions tend to have higher crime rates. And with all the talk of stimulus packages, I would bet that building more prisons would be some of the big projects that the stimulus would pay for.

duo

at 15:17 on December 20th, 2008

The prison profiteers would love such a law as that. Did private prison owners sponsor the poll? Right now 1 in every 31 Americans is either in prison or living under the threat of prison on parole or probation. Most incarcerated persons are imprisoned for non-violent crimes, like smoking tobacco would be. They work hard making marketable products the prison owners sell, and taxpayers pay $185 billion annually to keep their neighbors locked up for simple, non-violent crimes.

Pooting in the USA may soon be outlawed, too. Oh, wait! I think that already happened and I wrote about it:

Man Charged with Battery for Passing Gas Near Police Officer
http://my.nowpublic.com/strange/man-charged-battery-passing-gas-near-police-officer

While we're holding tobacco companies liable for cigarette-related health problems (for folks who started smoking AFTER the warning labels were printed on every pack), let us also go after our favorite restaurants for serving us pie or cake if we are already overweight. Or better yet, let's get that Sara Lee. Someone else must be held accountable for our lack of restraint, after all!

Mary Neal

Joe Camel (not verified)

at 16:09 on December 20th, 2008

The rabble can have any opinion they want on outlawing smoking but the choices are these: 1) outlaw it and give the tax money to hustlers. 2) Raise taxes so high that nobody will pay it with the same result as number 1.

If anybdy thinks outlawing smoking will make anybody QUIT, they could use a brain transplant,

dunkelberg

at 16:18 on December 20th, 2008

Interesting.

I wonder if the responses would have been less aggressive had the lead been reversed to say seven out of ten opposing outlawing cigarettes?

polylogue

at 17:48 on December 20th, 2008

Interesting indeed.

I would say the lead serves two purposes. The first is to attract attention to a story. The second is to reflect what's the story about and why it is a story. The interesting thing -- in my opinion -- about the survey results is that 20 percent of Americans would go so far as to want to ban smoking. This seems extreme and not practical. The 70 percent who don't think smoking should be outlawed seem to have the obvious and not radical position. Just thoughts.

dunkelberg

at 18:00 on December 20th, 2008

Oh, I agree with your choice.

I was just mulling the reaction.

devaymarie

at 16:31 on December 20th, 2008

I was in one of the most breath-taking national parks in Alberta, Canada, enjoying and photographing the beautiful sights. Suddenly, I looked down and saw this "ugliness" that had been disgarded on the sidewalk. It seemed to contradict the amazing scenery that surrounded it.

devaymarie has contributed a photo to this story.

Amy Judd

at 18:11 on December 20th, 2008

I don't think it should be banned and I'm a non-smoker.

Paschen

at 18:18 on December 20th, 2008

The US should have learned from the mistakes of the prohibition and realize by now that banning any thing per say does not work.

polylogue

at 19:38 on December 20th, 2008

It's really not the U.S. doing anything, but rather a survey on whether smoking should be banned. Given that 70 percent are against this and all the problems making tobacco illegal would create, I would say this will not happen. I was surprised that 20 percent think it should be banned.

Amy Judd

at 19:42 on December 20th, 2008

I'm not surprised - non-smokers would just love to not have to deal with second hand smoke and all the litter cigarettes create; aside from the issue that banning them would cause however.

polylogue

at 19:48 on December 20th, 2008

I would love to never see a cigarette again. Or smell a smoker on the elevator again. But that said, I never want to see gangsters roaming the streets selling smokes to nicotine addicts hanging out in back alleys.