Attitudes Towards Public Smoking in Puerto Rico

The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco-use is responsible for 150,000 deaths each year in Latin America.  Preventing the onset of smoking is critical; yet prevention efforts will have no impact on the impending death and disability current smokers will suffer -- unless they quit tobacco.

One obvious way is to run public health campaigns to persuade non-smokers to never begin smoking and for smokers to cease smoking.  Such campaigns use all the elements of advertising techniques, and may play on a number of emotions and ideas.  For example, 

  • presenting the scientific data about the effects of tobacco smoking
  • presenting the deadly statistics
  • presenting first-hand testimony of sufferers
  • presenting first-hand testimony of second-hand sufferers
  • perpetuating the notion it is in fact NOT cool to smoke
  • suggesting that a smoker is a social pariah

Of course, successful cessation of smoking can be extremely difficult to sustain, because nicotine is addictive and attempts to quit causes withdrawal symptoms.

Whilst the decision to quit is essentially an individual matter, public policy and social pressure can be applied.  This is feasible because of the body of medical research that the smoking can have deleterious second-hand effects on other people.  Thus, public ordinances may be passed to prohibit smoking in public places.  Private corporations may ban smoking in open office areas.  In addition to institutional efforts, it is extremely significant for individuals to express their objections and displeasure when others smoke in their presence. 

We will now cite some survey data from the TGI Puerto Rico survey.  This is a survey of persons 12+ in Puerto Rico conducted by MediaFax Inc. during February-April 2000.  The respondents were show a statement, "I agree with bans on cigarette smoking" and 46% of them said that they completely agreed with this statement and another 10% said that they tended to agree with this statement.  The next table shows the demographic breakdown of these responses.

Demographic group

 Definitely agree/tend to agree% Definitely agree%
Age/sex group
Male 12-17
Male 18-24
Male 25-34
Male 35-49
Male 50-64
Male 65+

Female 12-17
Female 18-24
Female 25-34
Female 35-49
Female 50-64
Female 65+
53%
49%
49%
60%
56%
60%

54%
57%
55%
61%
58%
60%
45%
36%
37%
51%
59%
47%

47%
40%
44%
53%
49%
49%
Education
    Less than high school
    High school graduate
    Some college
    College graduate
    Postgraduate degree
53%
50%
61%
69%
76%
42%
41%
50%
56%
65%
Household income
  Under $8,000
  $8,000 - $14,999
  $15,000 - $29,999
  $30,000 - $49,999
  $50,000 or more
52%
55%
63%
72%
78%
43%
42%
53%
58%
64%
TOTAL 56% 46%

From the above table, we see that the likelihood of agreeing with bans on cigarette smoking is very much an increasing function of the level of education and household income.  This is the set of people who are likely to be more receptive to scientifically reasoned modes of argument and presentation.  Agewise, the agreement rate is higher among older people.

Perhaps the most important question is: What do the smokers themselves think about the situation?  In Puerto Rico, 13% of the people indicated they had smoked cigarettes in the past 7 days, being more likely to be male 18-49 and female 25-49.  Among these smokers, 38% either definitely agreed or tended to agree with the statement "I agree with bans on cigarette smoking"; 25% of them definitely agreed with the statement.  So even with the group of smokers, at least one-quarter of them actually see a logic for banning public smoking.

HEALTH LINKS

(posted by Roland Soong, 4/13/2001)

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