Keywords
Cigarettes, e-cigarettes, tobacco control, smokefree, public support
Document Type
Research Studies
Abstract
Background: Smoking kills 5,000 Mississippi adults per year and more than a third of cancer deaths are attributable to smoking. The annual healthcare costs to Mississippi due to smoking are $1.43 billion.
Purpose: Assess public support for policies that reduce tobacco use.
Methods: Telephone surveys were administered to a representative sample of 900 Mississippi adults in 2023. Participants were asked about their support or opposition to implementing a statewide smokefree law, restricting where people can vape, increasing the state cigarette tax, taxing e-cigarettes, and restricting e-cigarette advertising.
Results: The majority of respondents support each of these five policies, with an increase in the state cigarette tax having the least support and restricting e-cigarette marketing having the strongest support. Adults who do not smoke or vape were more supportive of these policies than those who report current use of cigarettes or e-cigarettes. Support tended not to vary across preferred political party, although independents were less supportive of placing restrictions on smoking and vaping locations than Republicans and Democrats.
Conclusion: Most Mississippi adults support these five tobacco control policies that would reduce the health and economic burden that tobacco places on this state. Moreover, support is consistent across political party identification.
Recommended Citation
McClelland, E.,
Johnson, T.,
&
McMillen, R.
(2024). Public Support for Tobacco Control Policies Among Mississippi Adults.
Journal of Public Health in the Deep South, 4(2), 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2996-6833.1083