75 Percent of New Yorkers Favor City Smoke-Free Workplace Law on Eve of One-Year Anniversary

Law more popular than the New York Yankees and Coney Island hot dogs

Mar. 28 2004

Washington, DC - By a margin of 75 percent to 24 percent, New York voters support the City's smoke-free workplace law, according to a new poll released today by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids – a five-point increase in popularity since August 2003 (see complete poll results). The survey comes one year after Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Council passed the landmark legislation.

"One year after the smoke-free workplace law went into effect, it's more popular than ever," said William V. Corr, Executive Director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "The law is more popular than a Coney Island frank and a corn beef sandwich – and healthier too. New Yorkers want to be able to go to bars and restaurants without putting their health at risk and that's why this law has more support than the Yankees, even with A-Rod."

Key findings include:

• The law enjoys strong support in every borough. The Bronx, 78-20; Brooklyn, 74-23; Queens, 73-27; Manhattan, 76-24; Staten Island, 77-23*.
• Republicans favor the law by a margin of 68-29 and Democrats support it 76-23.
• African-Americans favor the law 77-21; Latinos like it 79-21; Whites support the law 73-26.
• The Smoke-Free Workplace law is more popular than the New York Yankees (69 percent favorable - 17 percent unfavorable), a Coney Island Hotdog (61 percent - 16 percent) and a corn beef sandwich (60 percent – 21 percent)
• In August of 2003, a similar poll found the smoke-free law was supported by 70 percent and opposed by 27 percent of New York City voters.

The smoke-free workplace law went into effect in New York City on March 30, 2003. Supported by the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association of the City of New York and the NYC Coalition for a Smoke-Free City, the law requires a smoke-free environment in nearly all workplaces, bars and restaurants where employees were previously exposed to the 69 carcinogens in secondhand smoke.

The survey of 500 registered voters throughout New York City was conducted from 3/21-3/22 by Global Strategy Group. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percent.

* Denotes caution due to a small sample size in Staten Island