US: Most Arizonans Live in Smoke-free Environments

Source from:  Examiner.com (National)  05/27/2013

A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that most Americans do not permit smoking in their homes and vehicles. Arizona is among the states where this is most common.

CDC used information from the 2009–2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey, which contacted more than 118,000 adults over 18 by landline and cell phones. The group spoke to roughly 1,860 adults in each of the 50 states.

In Arizona, 86% of the nearly 1800 adults who responded to the question about smoking in the home said that they do not allow it at all. The national rate is 81%.

Almost 83% of surveyed Arizonans said they do not allow smoking in their vehicles, compared to 74% nationally.

About 1580 Arizonans agreed to answer questions about their exposure to secondhand smoke. Around 4.5% said they were exposed to secondhand smoke at home, and almost 7% reported they were exposed to it in their cars.

Nationally, these groups were most likely to have no-smoking rules in the home and car:
•Women
•Older people
•Hispanics and Asians
•People with higher education

Study authors speculate that members of these groups have lower smoking rates, are affected by cultural factors that disapprove of smoking, or are particularly receptive to tobacco-related health messages and understand of the health hazards associated with secondhand smoke.

The study also found that four states--Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maine--and Puerto Rico have laws that prohibit smoking in vehicles occupied by children under a specified age.

ASHLine, the Arizona Smokers Helpline, has advertised on TV pretty aggressively. Last year, the CDC studied the impact of a mass media campaign to encourage smokers to quit, and found that quitlines saw a 132% increase in calls during the campaign. Enditem