Canadians Fear Cloning Will Be Used to Create a Master Race

In the latest CTV/Angus Reid Poll, a representative cross-section of 1,000 Canadians were asked questions about cloning, that is, the ability to replicate humans though a scientific process. The results of these questions are outlined below.

Three quarters (73%) fear that cloning human beings will be used wrongly by people to create a master race… but almost half (46%) believe that if it is carefully regulated, the cloning of human beings for such things as replacement body parts, transplants and experimenting with new drugs is not a bad thing

When asked to agree or disagree with the statement, "I fear that cloning human beings will be used wrongly by people who only want to create a master race," 73% of Canadians agree and 25% disagree (Table 1). Those most likely to agree are from Alberta (82%), women (81%), those with incomes below $25,000 (77%) and Canadians between 35 and 54 as well as those over 55 (75% each). Those most likely to disagree with the statement include residents of Atlantic Canada (29%), younger Canadians (29% among those 18-34) and men (33%).

In spite of these concerns, almost half (46%) of Canadians think that "cloning human beings, for such things as replacement body parts, transplants and experimenting with new drugs, if carefully regulated is not a bad thing" (Table 1). An additional 53% disagrees with this statement. Quebecers (53%), Canadians between 18 and 34 (57%) and men (51%) are the most likely to indicate that it is "not a bad thing," while British Columbians (63%), Canadians older than 55 years (59%) and women (58%) are the most likely to disagree with the statement.

Two thirds (65%) believe cloning is akin to playing God

In addition to the fear that people may use cloning in pursuit of a master race, there is a concomitant belief among two thirds of Canadians (65%) that "cloning should never be allowed to happen because it means we are playing God"). One third (33%) disagrees with this statement.

These results are quite consistent across the country. However, women (74%) are more inclined to liken cloning to 'playing God' and express a desire for it to be stopped than the rest of the population. Conversely, men (55%) and Canadians with household incomes over $55,000 (59%) are the least likely to indicate that "cloning should never be allowed to happen because it means we are playing God".

Three in ten (29%) Canadians support screening individuals before allowing them to partake in cloning while six in ten believe cloning should be a random process

While a majority fears the pursuit of a master race, three in ten (29%) Canadians support screening individuals before allowing them to partake in cloning.

Canadians were told that "some people say that individuals should be screened before they are permitted to be cloned and that only the very smartest people in the best physical condition should be cloned" while "other people say that screening who gets cloned is wrong and that cloning should be a random process that does not exclude anyone" and asked to indicate which is closest to their point of view. Three in ten (29%) Canadians support screening while six in ten (59%) believe that cloning should be a random process. An additional one in ten (12%) do not know. Although there are various regional pronunciations, these results are quite consistent across the country.

Intelligent (32%) and Healthy/Fit (25%) individuals chosen to be cloned

Canadians were asked to put aside that they may or may not be in favour of cloning and told that they were in charge of overseeing the cloning process. They were then asked to indicate what qualities or physical characteristics would be most important to them in determining who gets cloned (they were allowed up to three responses). Because Canadians were able to provide multiple responses, the total exceeds 100%.

Intelligence (32%) and healthy/fit (25%) were the most often named qualities/characteristics. Compassionate/caring was mentioned by 10% of Canadians, moral/good was named by 9%, honesty by 8% and mentally healthy by 5% (Table 3). Other responses captured less than 5% of mentions each.

Almost nine in ten (87%) indicate that it is not acceptable for people to clone themselves and have a baby exactly like themselves to raise as their own child

Nine in ten (87%) Canadians disagree with the hypothesis that people should have the freedom, in the future, to clone themselves and have a baby exactly like themselves to raise as their own child. An overwhelming majority of Canadians share this perspective across the country and among various socio-demographic groupings. Alternately, 12% concur that in the future people should have this freedom.

This CTV/Angus Reid Poll was conducted by telephone between February 9th and 12th 1998 among a representative cross-section of 1,000 Canadian adults.

These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1996 Census data.

With a Canada-wide sample of 1,000, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within ±3.2 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

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