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Americans Blame Smokers, Not Tobacco Companies

August 09, 2005

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Adults in the United States believe people who smoke are mostly or completely to blame for their health problems, according to a poll by Gallup released by CNN and USA Today. 64 per cent of respondents believe the smokers themselves are responsible, while 26 per cent say the tobacco companies should be accountable.

In the 1990s, several U.S. states successfully launched legal action against American tobacco manufacturers and distributors. The lawsuits claimed that the companies deliberately understated the health risks related to smoking

Seven American states—California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island—have implemented statewide smoking bans. Eight other states are in the process of enacting them.

Polling Data

Which of the following statements best describes your view of who's to blame for the health problems faced by smokers in this country?

The tobacco companies are completely to blame

7%

The tobacco companies are mostly to blame

19%

Both tobacco companies and smokers equally

9%

Smokers are mostly to blame

34%

Smokers are completely to blame

30%

Source: Gallup / CNN / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,006 American adults, conducted from Jul. 7 to Jul. 10, 2005. Margin of error is 3 per cent.