Poll: 70% of Hoosiers Want Smoke Free Law

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 6:29 AM

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Seventy percent of Hoosier voters want to see passage of a statewide smoke free law.

The Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air released their poll results Tuesday.

Of the 500 registered voters surveyed, 27 percent were against a law, with three percent saying they were unsure. The poll’s margin of error was +/- 4.38 percent.

A bill to create a statewide smoking ban is pending in the Indiana House and could receive a vote this week.

"Voters know that secondhand smoke is a health hazard, and this poll shows that they want a strong law protecting their right to breathe clean air," said Danielle Patterson, Co-Chair of the Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air. "The Legislature should listen to the people of Indiana and Governor Daniels and act quickly to make all workplaces smoke-free."

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has said he would sign a smoking ban into law.

The proposal, House Bill 1149, currently includes exemptions for casinos, fraternal clubs, veterans halls, and cigar bars.

The campaign says those exemptions should not exist, claiming approximately 16,000 casino workers across the state are at a greater risk of lung and heart disease because of their increased second-hand smoke exposure.

LINKS:

House Committee Approves Smoking Ban

Study Tags Secondhand Smoke Impact At $1.3B

Statewide Smoking Ban Proposed