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State legislators' attitudes and voting intentions toward tobacco control legislation
A O Goldstein1, J E Cohen, B S Flynn
1Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7595, USA.
Objectives:
This study describes state legislators' knowledge, attitudes, and voting intentions with regard to tobacco-related issues.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey of state legislators was conducted in North Carolina, Texas, and Vermont in 1994.
Results:
Most legislators agreed that secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer in nonsmokers, and a majority believed that smokers are addicted to nicotine. More than 75% stated that they would support a measure to enforce laws preventing tobacco sales to youth. A majority of Texas and Vermont legislators supported an increase in the state cigarette excise tax; 43% of North Carolina legislators would support an increase if revenues were directed toward tobacco farmer diversification.
Conclusions:
State legislators believe tobacco to be addictive, and they support policies to protect youth from tobacco. Support for other legislative measures differs significantly across states.