Tobacco Free Columbia Dane County Coalition Releases Healthy Living Poll
Public Opinion Poll Gauges Support for Prevention, Access to Healthy Options in Dane County
The Tobacco Free Columbia-Dane County Coalition (TFCDC) today released findings of a public opinion poll gauging attitudes toward healthy living and prevention in Dane County. The purpose of the poll is to evaluate public support for TFCDC efforts to promote tobacco prevention and control activities. The survey was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies. "An extensive public opinion poll found that people in Dane overwhelmingly agree that tobacco use is a problem in our state," said Ryan Sheahan, Coalition Coordinator. "This poll also found a lot of agreement on the actions Wisconsin should take to help improve health where we live, work and play." The poll found that Dane County residents agree that youth tobacco use is a serious problem. • 73 percent of respondents in Dane County said they are concerned about youth tobacco use in Wisconsin (31% said they are "very concerned") • 87 percent of respondents in Dane County said they support preserving funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs to prevent kids from smoking and to provide help for smokers who want to quit (55% strongly support) There was significant agreement in Dane County about the need to protect kids by: investing in tobacco prevention, promoting tax parity that ensures flavored tobacco products are taxed at similar rates as cigarettes, and expanding smoke-free environments. "We have worked really hard to protect kids from smoking through the smoke-free air law and cigarette taxes, but they are too-often faced with shiny new tobacco products that are candy-flavored and cheap," said Bev Jambois, Coalition Chair. "Here in Dane County we will continue to educate parents and the public about the new tobacco products that threaten our progress in protecting our kids from a lifelong addiction to tobacco." For more information on the Tobacco Free Columbia Dane County Coalition, call 608-242-6297 or go to www.tfcdc.com Funded by the CDC's Community Transformation Grant initiative, Transform Wisconsin is working to make healthy living easier and more affordable where people live, work, learn, and play. The long-term goal of Transform Wisconsin is to reduce chronic diseases in Wisconsin, which account for 75 cents of every dollar spent on health care. Twenty-five counties around the state were awarded 30 Transform Wisconsin grants. For more information, visit: www.transformwi.com. -END- NEWS RELEASE DISTRIBUTED BY Public Health-Madison and Dane County On behalf of The Tobacco Free Columbia-Dane County Coalition
