Similar surveys lead to different conclusions

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The latest from Harvard Professor John Connolly

Public Attitudes Regarding Banning of Cigarettes and Regulation of Nicotine

Gregory N. Connolly, DMD, MPH, Ilan Behm, MPH, Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, and Hillel R. Alpert, ScM

Knowledge of current public opinion is important as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) applies the best scientific evidence available to tobacco product regulation. Based on a nationally representative survey of the US adult population, we report 43% support for banning of cigarettes, 65% for reducing nicotine, and 77% for reducing nicotine if such an action could cause fewer children to become addicted to cigarettes. The FDA should consider protecting children by removing all but nonaddictive cigarettes from the marketplace. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print February 16, 2012: e1-e2. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300583)

Read More: American Public Health Association - Public Attitudes Regarding Banning of Cigarettes and Regulation of Nicotine

Here is a news report of a different survey on the same topic

Less Addictive Cigarettes Preferred By Smokers

Results from an International tobacco Control (ITC) United States Supplemental Survey, published recently in the journal BMC Public Health , reveal that smokers strongly favor decreasing the addictiveness of cigarettes.

Lead investigator Andrew Hyland, PhD, Chair of the Department of Health Behavior at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), and his team, surveyed 678 smokers between November 2009 and January 2010 on their attitudes and beliefs about the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA).

The survey findings revealed, that:

• 71% of smokers did not know that the FDA is authorized to regulate tobacco.
• 67% of smokers are in favor of reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes - if nicotine was available in a non-cigarette form.
• 67% of smokers reported supporting banning cigarette advertising, promotion, and marketing activities.
• 41% of smokers reported they would agree to a law that would ban additives and flavoring that make cigarettes less harsh.

Link to full story: Less Addictive Cigarettes Preferred By Smokers

Link to full text of published study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3260261/?tool=pubmed

At first glance these results appear to be similar. But the second survey reports on the opinions of smokers, while the first reports on "a nationally representative survey of the US adult population."

The second survey gives researchers some very valuable information--if only they would drop their preconceived notions and pay attention. If an acceptable alternative source of nicotine (not smoked) were available, it is possible that up to 30 million smokers might be amenable to switching. Assuming that the mortality rate would be reduced at a similar level, that would represent nearly 300,000 fewer smoking-related deaths each year.