Role of Research
• • • • • • • Understand Public Opinion Correct Misperceptions Demonstrate Voter Support Reassure Nervous Pols Reveal Health Impact Counter Economic Anecdotes Generate Earned Media
A Strong Majority of New Yorkers Support The State’s Smoke-Free Workplace Law
Recently, a law went into effect prohibiting smoking in all workplaces in New York state, including offices, restaurants, and bars. Would you say that you support or oppose the law?
80
Total Support: 70%
60
24
Total Oppose: 28%
40
20
46
12 15
0
Support
Darker shading equals stronger intensity Total numbers are rounded
Oppose
New York Statewide survey of registered voters - September 2003
Voters Believe In The Right to Breathe Clean Air Inside Restaurants and Bars
Which one of the following do you think is more important?
The rights of customers and employees to breathe clean air inside restaurants and bars
The rights of smokers to smoke inside restaurants and bars
Right to breathe clean air
55% strong
76%
Right of smokers to smoke
0%
6% strong
16%
Darker shading equals stronger intensity Total numbers are rounded
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
New York Statewide survey of registered voters - September 2003
Voters Think Restaurants and Bars are Healthier, More Enjoyable, and Have No Inclination To Change The Law
% strongly/somewhat agree
Restaurants and bars are healthier for customers and employees now that they are smoke-free It’s really nice to go out and enjoy New York’s restaurants and bars without smelling like smoke when you get home There has been a lot of talk about changing the new law, but we should give the law a chance to work before trying to weaken it People should not get too worked up about this law. It is not too much to ask for smokers to step outside a restaurant or bar when they want a cigarette
54%
31%
85
57%
26%
82
43%
31%
75
46%
31%
77
The media is blowing this out of proportion. There will always be a small group of people who complain about the smoke-free law, but overall the new law is working fine
0%
36%
34%
70
20%
40%
New York Statewide survey of registered voters - September 2003
60%
80%
100%
September 15, 2003 For Immediate Release
Contact: Josh Isay, 212-535-8384 or Micah Lasher, 646-602-6577
New Poll Shows 70% of New Yorkers Favor Statewide Smoke-Free Workplace Law
Support Strong Across State and Party Lines
By a margin of 70% to 28%, New York voters support the State’s smoke-free workplace law, according to a new poll released today by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The poll also found that 54% of those surveyed are more likely to support a candidate for the State Legislature who voted for the law and 20% would be less likely to support such a candidate (see attached fact sheet). “This poll shows that across demographic and geographic boundaries, New Yorkers are embracing the State smoke-free law as both good for their health and for their pleasure when going out to restaurants and bars,” said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “Any lawmaker who tries to roll back this law is going to have to face their constituents.” The survey found that eight out of ten New Yorkers (83 percent) surveyed believe that second-hand smoke is a health hazard and that three out of four voters (75 percent) felt that we should give the law a chance to work before trying to weaken it.. The smoke-free workplace law was passed by the State Senate and Assembly and signed into law by Governor Pataki in March. Supported by the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Association, and the American Lung Association, the law prohibits smoking in nearly all workplaces, bars and restaurants where employees are exposed to the 69 carcinogens in secondhand smoke. The survey of 600 registered voters throughout New York State was conducted between Friday, September 12 and Sunday, September 14, 2003 by Global Strategy Group. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 4%. --30--
To: Members of the New York State Assembly From: Penny Leask, NYS PTA President Patricia Hysert, NYS PTA Health Chairman #716-861-4776 Date: 10/8/03 Re: Voter Support for Clean Indoor Air Law
On behalf of the members of the New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc. (PTA), we would like to thank you for supporting enactment this Spring of the Clean Indoor Air Act. The Assembly’s leadership on this issue is appreciated by the broad coalition of health and community agencies that supported the legislation. Attached is a new statewide poll which shows that there is overwhelming bi-partisan support for the State’s smoke-free workplace law. The poll conducted by Global Strategy Group found that 70% of voters support the current law and 75% agree that the law should be given a chance to work before trying to weaken it. Eighty-two percent of those polled appreciate being able to patronize smoke free restaurants and bars. Support for the new law cuts across geographic and partisan lines: Upstate voters favor the law 66-32%; suburban voters favor it 74-24%; New York City voters favor it 71-25%; Republicans support the law 66-32%; Democrats support the law 7126%; Independents support the law 75-22% This poll clearly demonstrates that a majority of the public believes that the Legislature and the Governor did the right thing by enacting the Clean Indoor Act. The law protects children and young people from diseases caused by secondhand smoke. In addition, studies have indicated that bans on smoking in public places will significantly lower the rates of adolescent smoking. We thank you for your past support and urge you to continue to advocate for the law.
Residents Across The State Support Connecticut’s Smoke-Free Workplace Law
Recently, a law went into effect prohibiting smoking inside all workplaces in Connecticut, including offices, restaurants, and bars. Would you say that you support or oppose the law?
100
85
80
88
86
85 79
60
40
20
14
11
14
19 13
0 All
Total numbers are rounded
Hartford Support
Fairfield Oppose
New Haven
Rest of State
Connecticut Statewide survey - August 2004
September 28, 2004
Residents back smoking ban, poll finds
By Tobin A. Coleman
HARTFORD -- Days before the one-year anniversary of Connecticut's workplace smoking ban, a new poll shows residents are overwhelmingly behind it. In spite of the support, a group of bar and tavern owners is moving forward today with a lawsuit to have the ban declared unconstitutional. According to a survey released by Mobilize Against Tobacco for Children's Health, or MATCH Coalition, yesterday at a Capitol news conference, 74 percent of state residents said they strongly support the ban and 10 percent said they somewhat support it, for a rounded total of 85 percent in support. There were 8 percent who strongly oppose the ban and 6 percent who oppose it somewhat, for a total of 14 percent. In Fairfield County, 86 percent support the ban. The smoking ban went into effect last October in all indoor workplaces, including offices and restaurants. Bars were added to the ban in April. Private clubs are exempt. When residents were asked what was more important -- the rights of customers and employees to breathe clean air inside restaurants and bars, or the rights of smokers to smoke there -- 79 percent said the right to breathe clean air was much more important, compared to 2 percent who said smokers' rights much more important. "These numbers tell a very powerful story, not a surprising one, but a powerful message," said state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who worked for several years to get the ban passed in the Legislature.
Delaware Voters Overwhelmingly Support The State’s Smoke-Free Workplace Law
Last year, a law went into effect prohibiting smoking inside most workplaces in Delaware, including offices, restaurants, bars and casinos. Would you say that you support or oppose the law?
100
Total Support: 77%
80
15
60
40
62
20
Total Oppose: 23%
9 14
0
Support
Darker shading equals stronger intensity Total numbers are rounded
Oppose
Delaware Statewide survey of registered voters - October 2003
Voters Would Reject A Candidate Who Wants To Change The Smoke-Free Law
Candidate X supports says Delaware’s smoke-free workplace law is working and supports leaving the law as it is Candidate Y says Delaware’s smoke-free workplace law went too far and wants to change the law to allow smoking in some workplaces
80
66%
Margin of more than 2-to-1
60
13
40
27%
53
20
12 15
0 Candidate who supports leaving the law as it is
Darker shading equals stronger intensity Total numbers are rounded
Candidate who wants to change the law
Delaware Statewide survey of registered voters - October 2003
Voters View Gov. Minner More Favorably Because of Her Support for the Smoke-Free Workplace Law
Governor Ruth Ann Minner has been a strong supporter of Delaware’s smoke-free workplace law. Does the Governor’s support for the law make you view her more favorably or less favorably?
More favorably
34
24
58%
Less favorably
10
7
17%
A majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents have a more favorable view of the Governor
No difference
23
23%
0
Darker shading equals stronger intensity Total numbers are rounded
20
40
60
80
Delaware Statewide survey of registered voters - October 2003
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Michael Bloomberg is handling . . .
Disapprove Approve
61%
Crime The ban on smoking in restaurants and bars
-28%
-36%
59%
The Public Schools
The City Budget Taxes
-80% -60%
-49%
36%
-51%
36%
Approve
Disapprove
-61%
28%
Quinnipiac University Survey of registered voters – October 2003
-40%
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Maine Residents Support The Smoke-Free Workplace Law
On January 1st of 2004, a law was enacted whereby all bars, taverns, lounges, and pool halls in Maine became smoke-free. Do you support or oppose this law?
80
71
76
60
40
29 24
20
0
Support Baseline (11-03)
Total numbers are rounded
Oppose 9 month (9-04)
Over Time, Even Maine’s Smokers Support The Smoke-Free Law
On January 1st of 2004, a law was enacted whereby all bars, taverns, lounges, and pool halls in Maine became smoke-free. Do you support or oppose this law?
80
60
60
60 46
40
40
20
0
Smokers - Support Baseline (11-03)
Total numbers are rounded
Smokers - Oppose 9 month (9-04)
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Survey shows majority of smokers support smoking ban
By Tobin A. Coleman
Associated Press AUGUSTA, Maine — A majority of smokers support Maine´s smoking ban in bars, lounges and pool halls, according to a new survey. A poll commissioned by the Maine Coalition on Smoking or Health shows that 54 percent of Maine residents who smoke support the ban, up from 40 percent who favored it when the law went into effect Jan. 1. Among all respondents, 76 percent said they favor the smoking ban, up from 71 percent last December. Carol Kelly, director of the Augusta-based coalition, said she was particularly heartened by the number of smokers who support the law. "This is a common-sense law," she said. "It´s clear that people appreciate smoke-free indoor space." The Sept. 23 telephone survey of 600 Mainers was conducted by Critical Insights polling firm in Portland and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. The coalition has more than 50 members, including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association of Maine, Consumers for Affordable Health Care, Maine Hospital Association and Medical Care Development. Mary Ellen FitzGerald, president of Critical Insights, said the survey showed that women, people over 45 and residents of northern Maine were more supportive of the smoking ban.
Near Universal Approval of California’s Smoke-free Workplace Law (2004)
100 80
Percent
60 40 20 0 Approval
Overall 89.6
Smoker 74.9
New Resident 93.3
Note: “New resident” defined as Californians who moved to the state after the 1995 law went into effect. “Approval” includes “strong” approval and “somewhat” approval. Source: The 2004 Survey of California Adults on Secondhand Smoke conducted by Field Research Corporation. Prepared by: California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section, January 2005.
75% of New Yorkers Support The City’s Smoke-Free Law
The Law is Even More Popular Than a Variety of New York Institutions
Voter Support for the Smoke-Free Workplace Law
Favorable Rating
75%
New York Yankees New York Knicks David Letterman Coney Island Hot Dog A deli cornbeef sandwich Krispy Kreme donuts
49% 48% 39%
0% 20% 40% 60%
69% 63% 62% 61% 60%
Donald Trump
George Steinbrenner
New York City Survey of registered voters - March 2004
80%
100%
March 28, 2004
Smoke ban a hit - even outpolls Yanks
Lisa L. Colangelo New York Daily News
What do New Yorkers like more than the Yankees or a Coney Island hot dog? The smoking ban.
Or at least that's the conclusion of a poll of 500 registered voters for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. According to the poll, 61% of people strongly support the ban on smoking in workplaces, including bars, restaurants and offices. That's up from 55% in a similar poll conducted in August. Another 14% said they "somewhat" support the ban. "Those are amazing numbers," said Josh Isay, a spokesman for the campaign. "People should know that contrary to some press reports, this law is very popular ... it's a vocal minority that opposes the law." By comparison, 46% of respondents reported a "very favorable" view of the New York Yankees, and 39% were big fans of Coney Island hot dogs. And 70% of people said the rights of customers to be in a smoke-free restaurant or bar is more important than the right to smoke. Bob Zuckerman of the New York Nightlife Association questioned the validity of the results. "When you group bars and restaurants together, you get a much different result than if you just ask about bars," he said. "We continue to hear from members and even nonmembers that the smoking ban has hurt business and curtailed the bar business." About 80% of the women surveyed support the ban while only 19% opposed it. Meanwhile, 70% of men supported the ban and 29% opposed it. The poll had a margin of error of 4.5%.
Delaware Smoke-free Law Clears The Air
James Repace Delaware Study, 2003
ng/m3
140
Carcinogen (PPAH) Levels Drop 95%
Micrograms/m3
250
Fine Particle Air Pollution (RSP) Levels Drop 90%
120
100
80
B E F O R E A F T E R
200
150
60 100
B E F O R E
24-hour NAAQS for PM 2.5
40
50
20
A F T E R
0
0
Indoor air quality test conduced Nov. 15, 2002 and Jan. 24, 2003 to assess levels of air pollution before and after DE Clean Indoor Air Law went into effect. One casino, 5 restaurants with bars, one taproom and one pool hall were tested
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE 9 AM, May 20, 2004
Contact: Joel Spivak 202-296-5469
Bars and Restaurants in Smoke-Free Cities Have 82% Less Air Pollution Than Cities That Allow Smoking, Seven-City Study Finds
CDC Recently Advised Persons With Heart Disease to Avoid Smoky Establishments Washington, DC – Bars and restaurants in cities that protect workers and patrons with smoke-free workplace laws have dramatically lower levels of indoor air pollution than those without such protections, according to a study released today. The study, conducted by researchers at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, used state-of-the-art air pollution monitors to measure the levels of fine particulate air pollution in the bars and restaurants of seven major U.S. cities. Three of the cities – Buffalo, New York and Los Angeles – have comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws covering restaurants and bars, and four – Baltimore, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Hoboken, NJ – do not have such laws. The study found that air pollution levels were 82 percent lower on average in venues required by law to be smoke-free compared to those where smoking was permitted. In cities without smoke-free laws, fulltime bar and restaurant employees are exposed on the job to more than four times the average annual limits of fine particulate air pollution recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the study found. The study found that New York City’s restaurants and bars had the lowest level of air pollution, followed in order by Buffalo, Los Angeles, Hoboken, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC, which had the highest levels of indoor air pollution.
Average Level of Indoor Air Pollution in Places in States that Allow Smoking and States That Don't.
Average PM 2.5 level (μg/m 3 )
400 300 200 100 0 Smoke-free Venues Smoking Venues 293
53
Average PM
2.5
level (μg/m 3)
300 400 500
Lo
100 200
s
0 94 27
An ge le s Bu f fa lo
Ba lti m W as hi ng to n ,D C or e
293 392
Ph ila d
el ph H ob N ew
ia
254
Average Level of Indoor Air Pollution in Each City Sampled
ok en Yo r
231
k
C ity
25
April 25, 2004
So a Guy Walks Into a Bar With an Air Monitor...
Richard Perez-Pena
It takes a toll, being the scientist who has to measure the air quality in bar after bar around the East and West Coasts, wearily checking for smoke particles between beers. "You go to a bar, have a beer, go to another bar," said Mark Travers, a 28-year-old doctoral candidate at the University at Buffalo, part of the State University of New York. He carried his sophisticated monitoring equipment in a shoulder case. "By the end of the night, you aren't so motivated to pick up and go on to the next bar," he said. "Occupational hazard. I'm not really complaining, 'Oh, I have to go bar-hopping again.' But I definitely don't go in to work early like I used to." Nonetheless, after months of arduous research, Mr. Travers and other scientists at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo have reached a significant conclusion about indoor air in Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's New York, a year after the city banned smoking in all bars and restaurants: The atmosphere in them has, on average, less than one-tenth as many fine particles and other harmful chemicals as in cities where smoking is still allowed. When they looked only at bars, and only late at night when the indoor haze was thickest, the contrast to New York City was much sharper. While the results he gathered may not be terribly surprising, the study, financed in part by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an antismoking group, put a numerical stamp on the still-new
New York City
• ―Since the law went into effect, business receipts for restaurants and bars have increased, employment has risen, virtually all establishments are complying with the law, and the number of new liquor licenses issued has increased—all signs that New York City bars and restaurants are prospering.‖
“The State of Smoke-Free New York City: A One-Year Review”, March 2004.
Clearing the Air in New York City
As Air Clears, Even Smokers Are Converted
February 6, 2005
By JIM RUTENBERG and LILY KOPPEL
"The crystal ball that people are looking at to project economic stability is not good enough for me."
October 11, 2002 New York Daily News
James McBratney, president of the Staten Island Restaurant and Tavern Association.
Back in 2002, when the City Council was weighing Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's proposal to eliminate smoking from all indoor public places, few opponents were more fiercely outspoken than James McBratney, president of the Staten Island Restaurant and Tavern Association. He frequently ripped Mr. Bloomberg as a billionaire dictator with a prohibitionist streak that would undo small businesses like his bar and his restaurant. Visions of customers streaming to the legally smoke-filled pubs of New Jersey kept him awake at night.
Asked last week what he thought of the now two-year-old ban, Mr. McBratney sounded changed. ''I have to admit,'' he said sheepishly, ''I've seen no falloff in business in either establishment.'' He went on to describe what he once considered unimaginable: Customers actually seem to like it, and so does he.
NIGHT LIFE RISES FROM ASHES OF SMOKING BAN By KENNETH LOVETT and PERRY CHIARAMONTE
The Big Apple's night life is still thriving, despite predictions it would go up in smoke because of the ban on butts, a new state study shows. The first-time study by the state Department of Taxation and Finance - a copy of which was obtained by The Post - shows that while tavern business in the city dipped the first six months after the smoking ban went into effect in March 2003, it has been rebounding steadily since. The study, which for the first time separated out the sales at bars from restaurants, also showed the smoking ban had even less of an initial impact on restaurants, where business has grown at a faster rate than at watering holes. "Certainly there was a short-term impact in the middle of 2003, but clearly since then business hasn't suffered," said state Tax and Finance spokesman Thomas Bergin. "As a matter of fact, business has improved." Many bar workers and patrons are not surprised. "We have smokers who come here that are still upset that they have to go outside, but people find a way to deal with it," said Lucie, a bartender at Milady's on Prince Street. Samir Hadjarab, manager of Red Bench Bar on Sullivan Street, added, "It was quiet for a while, but now a majority of my customers are nonsmokers." According to the state study, sales-tax revenue collected from bars dropped 5.9 percent and 7.8 percent during the first two quarters following the implementation of the city ban - the largest declines experienced since business dropped 17 percent right after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. But since September 2003, bar business has begun climbing again, whereas statewide, it has dropped or remained relatively flat since the state smoking ban went into effect July 2003. For the quarter beginning last June and ending in August, city bars and taverns reported $73.2 million in sales taxes, a healthy 3.8 percent increase over the same period in 2003. Business even increased slightly during the winter months of late 2003 and early 2004, when smokers had to get used to going outside and lighting up, despite the cold and snow. State tax officials contend that the numbers are evidence that, despite dire predictions by bar owners and pro-smoking forces, the ban has not decimated the city's bustling night-life industry. But Scott Wexler, executive director of the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association, said the increase in state sales taxes that were collected from bars can likely be pinned to a quarter-percent increase in the sales tax enacted by the state, as well as to establishments being forced to increase drink prices to make up for lost business. Still, many customers told The Post they are happy with the smoke-free environment. "It's more enjoyable," said Howard Glassman, 34, a nonsmoking patron at the Bleecker Street Bar. "People are pretty adaptive, and over time, they have gotten over it." Yvonne, a bartender at Tom and Jerry's on Elizabeth Street, said: "I still see a lot of smokers coming out. They go outside, and it's become a very social thing."