Public Concerned over the Effects of Cigarette Smoke

A new study conducted by the Angus Reid Group on behalf of the Healthy Living Partnership for Renfrew County shows that 63% of Renfrew County residents would support a local bylaw that would make all public places 100% smoke free. Furthermore, the study finds that the public is aware of the link between cigarette smoking and heart disease. On an open-ended basis, 55% identify smoking as a possible cause of heart disease, while 44% suggest quitting smoking as a way of preventing heart disease.

The Healthy Living Partnership for Renfrew County commissioned the study in order to determine the residents' perceptions regarding heart disease, as well as to identify the current incidence of cigarette smokers in the region and to measure support for smoke free bylaws in the region.

The study also shows that the public is concerned about the effect of cigarette smoke on their personal health. Of those who have at one time smoked cigarettes on a daily basis, 53% report having quit, and another 27% plan to do so. When it comes to second hand smoke, 68% are concerned about the effects of second hand smoke on their personal health.

These are some of the findings of the study conducted by telephone between May 22nd and 26th, 1998 among a representative cross-section of 400 adult residents of Renfrew County and District. A sample of 400 has an associated margin of error of 1774.9 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

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