Canadians' Attitudes Toward Cloning

More than seven in ten (72%) Canadians believe that cloning humans without brains for body parts would be unacceptable. In fact, a majority (56%) believe such a practice would be very unacceptable (a further 16 percent say it would be somewhat unacceptable). This despite recent experiments with cloning which show that it may be possible some day to create cloned humans without brains to provide body parts for transplant operations.

These are the findings of a CTV/National Angus Reid Group Poll conducted among a representative sample of 1,516 adult Canadians between November 20th and 25th, 1997. A sample of this size has an associated margin of error of ±2.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

Fewer than three in ten (28%) say this type of cloning is acceptable (10% very acceptable, 18% somewhat acceptable). Canadians aged 18 to 34 (37%), Albertans (31%) and Ontarians (30%) record the highest levels of acceptance for this type of cloning.

Opposition to cloning humans for body parts is highest among the following sub-groups of the population:

• Canadians aged 55 and older (82%);
• Those who do not have a high school diploma (79%);
• Women (77%, compared to 65% of men), and;
• British Columbians (76%)

Canadians aged 18 to 34 show the lowest levels of opposition to cloning for body parts with a comparatively low three in five (62%) finding the practice unacceptable.

This Canada-wide poll was conducted by telephone between November 20th and 25th, 1997, among a representative cross-section of 1,516 adult Canadians.

The data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's age composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1996 Census data.

With a national sample of 1,516, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within ±2.5 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within the various sub-groupings of the survey population.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900