Smoke Free South Yorkshire

There is considerable public demand for restrictions on smoking in workplaces and public places in South Yorkshire, according to a MORI Social Research Institute survey.

This survey, for Smoke Free South Yorkshire Tobacco Alliance, shows how residents across the South Yorkshire area feel about smoking in public places and gauges their support for the implementation of smoking restrictions in workplaces and public places.

It follows similar recent MORI surveys on this subject for other organisations campaigning for smoke free environments across the UK.

The survey shows 84% of South Yorkshire residents believe all employees should have the right to work in a smoke free environment. Furthermore, just under three-quarters (73%) support a law to ensure that all enclosed workplaces, including public places, should be smoke free. Even those who currently smoke would support such a law: the survey shows support from 39% of current smokers.

Just over three quarters (76%) of South Yorkshire residents say they are bothered to some extent about tobacco smoke in public places, with three in five (59%) bothered at least a fair amount. More than two in five cite health related concerns, while others are concerned by the smell, and have the view that smoking is antisocial.

Topline Results

• 1,000 interviews carried out over the telephone with people aged 16 years of age and over in South Yorkshire (333 interviews in each of Barnsley, Doncaster and 334 in the Rotherham area).
• Sample was drawn using Random Digit Dialling (RDD) and quotas were set for area, gender, age, work status, ethnicity and social class
• Data weighted to standard demographic characteristics (area, gender, age, work status, ethnicity and social class)
• Fieldwork carried out between the 14th and 20th March 2005
• Where results do not sum to 100%, this is due to computer rounding or multiple responses
• Base: All, unless otherwise specified
• An asterisk (*) represents a value of less than one half of one percent, but not zero

Q1 Which of the following statements best applies to you?

Q2-3 have not been released.

Q4 To what extent, if at all, are you bothered by tobacco smoke in enclosed public places?

Q6 I am now going to read out a list of public places. Thinking about your personal preferences towards smoking in public places, which of these options would you prefer the following places to be?

Q7 Overall, would you prefer public places to be completely smoke free or not? Would you say...?

Q8-12 have not been released.

Q13 How strongly, if at all, do you agree or disagree with the following statement about smoking in the workplace? "All employees should have the right to work in a smoke-free environment".

Q14 How strongly, if at all, would you support or oppose a law to make all enclosed workplaces, including public places, smoke free?