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Market research
News Release from: Ciao Surveys/Greenfield Online
Edited by the Marketingservicestalk Editorial
Team on 06 June 2007
Internet survey firm probes impact of
smoking ban
One month before the ban on smoking indoors in England comes into effect, internet survey company Ciao Surveys has found that 45% of smokers believe the ban will help them stop smoking.
Half of all people surveyed stated the smoking ban will make absolutely no difference to how frequently they go out Some 20% of smokers surveyed stated that even though they do not want to stop smoking, the ban will make them smoke less
This article was originally published on Marketingservicestalk on 13 Sep 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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This is on top of 25.4% of smokers who said they want to quit, and the ban will help them to do so.
"People with smoking related lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) tell us they wish they could go back in time and never smoke," says Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation.
"The introduction of the smoking ban in England is an ideal opportunity for smokers to give up and reduce their chances of ill-health in the future".
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As one of the main concerns about the ban is what effect it will have on licensed trade, the survey also looked at how people's behaviour will change once the ban comes into effect.
Some 49.2% of smokers and 50.7% of non-smokers stated that the ban will not have an effect on how often they go out.
However, 44.2% of smokers said they will go out less often while 47% of non-smokers said they would go out more often.
Only 4.6% of smokers said they would go out more often after the ban comes into force.
"These results show that it is incredibly difficult to predict what the effect on the bar and pub trade from the smoking ban will be," commented Richard Thornton, Vice President of Client Development at Ciao Surveys.
"Although it seems that overall people will go to the pub more often, it is possible that smokers will drink less or stay for shorter periods because they are unable to have a cigarette, and this could have a significant effect on trade".
The survey also showed a sharp divide between the attitudes of smokers and non-smokers to the ban.
Some 89.5% of non-smokers are in favour of the ban, as opposed to only 36.3% of smokers.
A full 57.1% of smokers are opposed to the ban, in contrast to only 8.2% of non-smokers who oppose it.
Interestingly, when asked about banning smoking in outdoor public areas in addition to indoors, 63.3% of non-smokers and 12.9% of smokers actually stated this should take place.
However, 83.3% of smokers and 27.3% of non-smokers surveyed believe this should not take place, which is a significantly higher number than those opposed to the indoor ban.
Finally, participants were asked about their opinions on whether or not smokers should have paid time off work to attend stop smoking clinics.
While 48.3% of smokers felt this was a good idea, only 23.7% of non-smokers agreed.
Some 70% of non-smokers do not believe smokers should have paid leave, along with 40.4% of smokers.
"The smoking ban is a polarising issue in England at the moment," continued Thornton.
"As one would expect, non-smokers are more optimistic about it than smokers, but only time will tell what the true effects will be".
This online survey of 240 smokers and 523 non-smokers in England was conducted by Ciao Surveys from 15-21 May 2007.
Ciao Surveys provides a full range of internet survey solutions including sampling, programming, translating and managing online data collection.
The company has long been a pioneer in this field and has consistently delivered quality market research services with diverse, demographically representative data.
Ciao Surveys' proprietary panel with millions of survey participants is one of the world's largest and highly profiled panel of its kind.
Ciao Surveys offers market researchers and corporate clients a 'one-stop shop' for providing quality panels, expertise in technical programming, and hosting facilities for a range of online market research tools. Request free introductory details about products from Ciao Surveys/Greenfield Online ...
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