2019 Tennessee Tobacco Vape Policy Poll chyheahh AN INITIATIVE 0F the de Beaumont Foundation Kaiser Permanente NASHVILLEHEALTH.ORG PUBLIC OPINION ST RAT I Public Opinion Strategies is pleased to present the key findings of a statewide telephone survey conducted in Tennessee. The survey was completed February 7-10, 2019, among 600 registered voters, with 300 cell phone respondents, and has a margin of error of +4.0%. 2 Palitical Environment GOPers, Inds, and a plurality of soft Dems say things in Tennessee are heading in the right direction, while base Dems disagree. “Would you say that things in Tennessee are going in the right direction, or have they pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track?” Overall By Party +68 No Opinion 9% Refused 1% 81% +72 +25 +11 -19 81% 56% Wrong Track 27% 55% 45% 31% Right Direction 63% 13% Base GOP (30%) 34% 36% 9% Soft/Lean GOP (18%) Ind (21%) Right Direction Soft/Lean Dem (10%) Base Dem (19%) Wrong Track 4 Smakw?g/Vap?g Camera PUBLIC OPINION ST RAT I Seven out of ten Tennessee voters say they are concerned about smoking and other tobacco use among young people. “How concerned are you about smoking and other tobacco use among young people in Tennessee?” Overall Total Concerned Total Not Concerned Not At All Concerned 10% Not Too Concerned 18% Somewhat Concerned 34% Top Groups – Very Concerned (37%) 70%* 28% Don't Know 1% Very Concerned 37% Someone Else in Household is Veteran Age 65+ Base Dems Women 45+ Chattanooga DMA Dem Men GOP Women African Americans Memphis DMA Veteran Household Dems Non-Smokers Women w/o Degrees Very Conservative Voters Men 45+ Total Minority Voters 51% 50% 48% 47% 46% 46% 44% 43% 42% 42% 42% 41% 41% 41% 41% 41% *Denotes Rounding 6 Half of voters say they are very concerned about vaping and the use of e-cigarettes among young people. “How concerned are you about vaping and the use of e‐cigarettes like JUUL among young people in Tennessee?” Overall Top Groups – Very Concerned (50%) Total Concerned Total Not Concerned Not Too Concerned 12% Somewhat Concerned 27% Not At All Concerned 9% 77% 21% Don't Know 1% Very Concerned 50% GOP Women Chattanooga DMA Age 65+ Women 45+ Someone Else in Household is Veteran Women w/o Degrees Base Dems African Americans Memphis DMA Women Total Minority Voters Moms Dem Men Women w/ Degrees Base GOPers 64% 63% 63% 63% 62% 59% 58% 57% 57% 56% 55% 55% 54% 54% 54% 7 Tabacca 21 PUBLIC OPINION ST RAT I Nearly two-thirds of voters favor raising the minimum age to buy tobacco to 21, and an overwhelming majority say e-cigarettes should be included in that law. “Would you favor or oppose raising the minimum age for the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in Tennessee from age eighteen to age twenty‐one?” Total Favor Total Oppose Strongly Oppose 20% Somewhat Oppose 15% Somewhat Favor 16% “Still thinking about this, if the state passes a law to raise the age for the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products from age eighteen to age twenty‐one, do you think that vaping products and electronic cigarettes like JUUL should be included in that law or not?” 63%* 34%* Don't Know 2% No, Don't Include E-Cigarettes 12% Don't Know Refused 2% 1% Strongly Favor 48% Yes, Include E-Cigarettes 86% *Denotes Rounding 9 Support for raising the minimum age to buy tobacco to 21 is bipartisan, with base Dems and base GOPers leading the way. Tobacco 21 by Party +32 +22 +8 +25 +54 76% 64% 61% 60% 53% 45% 38% 36% 32% 22% Base GOP (30%) Soft/Lean GOP (18%) Ind (21%) Favor Soft/Lean Dem (10%) Base Dem (19%) Oppose 10 Voters across the state back raising the minimum age to buy tobacco to 21. Tobacco 21 by Media Market Memphis (18%) Nashville (40%) Knoxville (20%) Favor Oppose Favor Oppose Favor Oppose 67% 31% 62% 35% 61% 36% Other (5%) Chattanooga (10%) Tri-Cities (8%) Favor Oppose Favor Oppose Favor Oppose 66% 34% 66% 33% 66% 34% 11 Voters across ideological lines support raising the minimum age to buy tobacco to 21. Tobacco 21 by Ideology +15 +42 +30 +39 70% 69% 64% 56% 41% 34% 30% 28% Very Conservative (25%) Somewhat Conservative (21%) Favor Moderate (33%) Liberal (16%) Oppose 12 Voters across party lines overwhelmingly support including e-cigarettes in a law that raises the minimum tobacco purchasing age to 21. Include E-Cigs In Tobacco 21 by Party +69 +70 +68 +76 +91 95% 83% 83% 14% 88% 83% 13% 15% 12% 4% Base GOP (30%) Soft/Lean GOP (18%) Yes, Include E-Cigarettes Ind (21%) Soft/Lean Dem (10%) Base Dem (19%) No, Do Not Include E-Cigarettes 13 SmgkeaFree Warkplaces Two-thirds of voters strongly favor a state law that would make all indoor public places smoke-free. “Would you favor or oppose a state law that would make all indoor public places smoke‐free by prohibiting smoking inside all workplaces, public buildings, offices, bars and restaurants?” Overall Total Favor Total Oppose Strongly Oppose 13% By Party +60 78% 20% +47 +68 84% 79% Don't Know 1% +54 76% +66 82% 73% Somewhat Oppose 7% 19% Somewhat Favor 11% Strongly Favor 67% Base GOP (30%) 22% Soft/Lean GOP (18%) 26% Ind (21%) Favor 16% 16% Soft/Lean Dem (10%) Base Dem (19%) Oppose 15 There is very strong support for a smoke-free workplace law across the state. Smoke-Free Workplaces by Media Market Memphis (18%) Nashville (40%) Knoxville (20%) Favor Oppose Favor Oppose Favor Oppose 82% 17% 79% 19% 74% 23% Other (5%) Chattanooga (10%) Tri-Cities (8%) Favor Oppose Favor Oppose Favor Oppose 79% 18% 79% 21% 76% 20% 16 Over three-quarters of voters across ideological lines would support a smoke-free workplace law. Smoke-Free Workplaces by Ideology +51 +59 +64 82% 77% 75% +59 79% 24% Very Conservative (25%) Somewhat Conservative (21%) Favor 20% 18% 18% Moderate (33%) Liberal (16%) Oppose 17 Even a majority of smokers back smoke-free. Smoke-Free Workplaces by Smokers +14 +71 85% 56% 42% 14% Smokers (22%) Non-Smokers (78%) Favor Oppose 18 Over three-quarters of Tennessee voters say the rights of customers and employees to breathe smoke-free air trumps the rights of smokers to smoke. “Please tell me which of the following you think is more important...” 78% The rights of customers and employees to breathe clean, smoke‐free air inside restaurants, bars and other workplaces …or… 18% The right of smokers to smoke and owners to allow smoking inside restaurants, bars and other workplaces 19 Voters across party lines say the rights of customers are more important than the rights of smokers. Rights More Important by Party +63 +48 +44 +70 +77 87% 85% 80% 71% 69% 25% 23% 17% Base GOP (30%) 15% Soft/Lean GOP (18%) Ind (21%) Rights Of Customers Soft/Lean Dem (10%) 10% Base Dem (19%) Rights Of Smokers 20 ADedicated Tobacco Preventian Funding PUBLIC OPINION ST RAT I A majority of voters strongly favor dedicating at least four million dollars of the state’s tobacco revenue funds to prevention programs. “Each year, Tennessee receives about four hundred million dollars in tobacco revenue. Currently, none of this money is used to fund a tobacco prevention program to prevent kids from smoking and help adults who want to quit. Would you favor or oppose dedicating at least four million dollars of the state's funds to tobacco prevention programs?” Overall Total Favor Total Oppose Strongly Oppose 10% Don't Know 3% By Party +61 80% 17% +69 +63 +48 +74 87% 81% 78% Refused 1% 81% 72% Somewhat Oppose 7% 24% Strongly Favor 58% Somewhat Favor 22% 18% 17% Base GOP (30%) Soft/Lean GOP (18%) Ind (21%) Favor 12% 13% Soft/Lean Dem (10%) Base Dem (19%) Oppose 22 PUBLIC OPINION ST RAT I The Bottom Line A strong majority of Tennesseans favor raising the minimum age for tobacco sales to 21, with an overwhelming majority saying e-cigarettes should be included in the law. Support for Tobacco 21 crosses partisan, demographic, and geographic lines. Voters in Tennessee are concerned about smoking and other tobacco use among young people in the state. Seven-in-ten voters say they are concerned about tobacco use among young people, with 37% saying they are very concerned. Tennesseans are even more concerned about vaping and the use of e-cigarettes among young people in the state (77% concerned), with half of voters saying they are very concerned. When asked if they would favor or oppose raising the minimum age for tobacco sales to 21, 63% say they would favor raising the minimum age, with just 34% opposing. Intensity is strong, with 48% of voters saying they strongly favor the age increase. Key findings among subgroups include: • By party, base Dems and base GOPers drive support, with 76% and 64% in favor, respectively. Soft GOPers and Dems are also largely supportive with support around 60%. A majority of Independents also favor the move, with 53% in favor. • Voters across the state’s media markets support raising the minimum age to 21. 24 The Bottom Line • Women drive support, with 68% of younger women (age 18-44) and 69% of older women (age 45+) supporting. Younger men are slightly more divided (51% favor/47% oppose), while 64% of older men favor the change. • Voters across ideological lines support the increase. While very conservatives are the least supportive, with 56% in favor, 64% of moderates favor the change. Support hovers near 70% for somewhat conservatives and liberals. • Fully, 86% of voters say that e-cigarettes should be included if the state passes a law to raise the age for tobacco sales to 21. On other tobacco issues that were tested in the survey, smoke-free workplaces are strongly supported by voters, with 78% in favor and just 20% opposed. Support is well over 70% across party lines. Even a majority of smokers back smoke-free workplace legislation, with 56% in favor. More than three-quarters of voters say the rights of customers and employees to breathe smokefree air is more important than the rights of smokers to smoke and owners to allow smoking. Eightin-ten voters favor dedicating the state’s tobacco revenue funds to tobacco prevention programs. In sum, support for Tobacco 21 is broad and deep in Tennessee, crossing party, ideological, and demographic lines. Voters in the state strongly support smoke-free workplaces. Tennesseans overwhelmingly back dedicated tobacco prevention funding. 25 onyheauh AN INITIATIVE 0F NASHVILLEHEALTH.ORG PUBLIC OPINION ST RAT I For additional information, contact: NashvilleHealth