St. Joseph, MO – A survey released today by Clean Air St. Joe showed a majority of St. Joseph residents want to be smoke-free in public places and workplaces and they know the dangers secondhand smoke poses to health.
The survey of about 600 randomly selected households revealed a majority of St. Joseph residents also say they would patronize businesses more often if they were smoke-free.
“This survey shows that going smoke-free is not only good for people, but it’s also good for business,” said Mary Attebury, Clean Air St. Joe Co-Chair.
Some numbers from the survey:
69% of respondents said there should not be smoking where people worked.
70% of respondents said smoking should not be allowed in indoor dining areas of restaurants.
82.6% agreed that breathing someone else’s cigarette smoke is harmful to your health.
Over half of those surveyed 56.4% would eat at restaurants in St. Joseph more often if they were smoke-free.
23% would visit bars more often if they were smoke-free and 62.4% said they would continue to go to bars and taverns if they went smoke-free. 14.6% said they would visit less often. The result is an overall 8% increase in people who would visit bars and taverns.
The most important factor when selecting a restaurant was “whether those in their party are able to dine in a smoke-free environment.”
82% of respondents sit in non-smoking areas when visiting full service restaurants.
To see the report go to www.cleanairstjoe.com
The survey was conducted by LAN Resources of St. Joseph in September of 2011. The results were released at a community luncheon hosted by Clean Air St. Joe at the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art on Wednesday, February 29th, 2012.
St. Joseph surgeon and Clean Air St Joe co-chair, Jane Schwabe, MD also presented at the sold-out event on the latest research pertaining to secondhand smoke and its impact on heart health.
“Second hand smoke is no longer just a nuisance; an annoyance to those who choose not to smoke. It is recognized by the CDC as a Class A carcinogen,” said Dr. Schwabe.
“There are NO safe levels of second hand smoke. People exposed to second hand smoke at home or work are at a 25-30% increased risk of heart disease and a 20-25% increased risk for lung cancer. In communities with strongly worded restrictions on smoking in the work place, we’ve seen a significant drop in heart attack rates. This is a public health issue and needs to be addressed as such.”