Because tobacco smoking causes 430,000 U.S. deaths annually, wide-reaching smoking bans are needed. Bans reduce cigarette consumption, encourage cessation, protect nonsmokers from second-hand smoke, and promote an attitude that smoking is undesirable. Therefore, bans may prevent future generations from suffering many smoking-related health problems. The federal government has not implemented widereaching smoking bans so it falls on individual states, counties, or communities to devise appropriate smoking policy. To date, smoking policy has been determined by legislators, who may have conflicts that prevent them from acting in the publics best interest. However, this method of implementing smoking policy may be changing. In 2005, Washington residents voted by ballot initiative to strengthen existing state smoking regulations. In 2006, Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio residents voted by ballot initiatives to implement strict statewide smoking bans. This research presents a way to predict how residents of other states might vote if given the opportunity. Two research hypotheses are tested and accepted: a positive relationship between favorable votes and urbanness, and a preference favoring smoking bans where smoking regulations already exist. Finally, a projection is made that a smoking ban vote in Kentucky would yield favorable results, and a map showing projected county votes is provided.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uky.edu/oai:uknowledge.uky.edu:gradschool_theses-1456 |
| Date | 01 January 2007 |
| Creators | Gilbreath, Donna Arlene |
| Publisher | UKnowledge |
| Source Sets | University of Kentucky |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | University of Kentucky Master's Theses |
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