From press release

CHICAGO—A recent poll shows 79 percent of Chicago residents support the laws that made indoor places in Chicago smoke-free beginning nearly five years ago. For comparison, the questionnaire also included an assessment of public support for the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox.

While 65 percent of those polled said they “strongly support” laws that require smoke-free environments (including workplaces, bars and restaurants), less than 50 percent of the respondents were as enthusiastic about Chicago’s sports teams. Not surprisingly, the Stanley Cup-winning Blackhawks earned the highest ranking of “very positive” support at 48 percent, while 43 percent of respondents have a “very positive” view of the NFC North champion Bears. The Cubs and White Sox garnered just 34 and 37 percent, respectively.

“Chicago loves its sports teams,” said Joel Africk, president and chief executive officer of Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago. “We’re thrilled to see that smoke-free indoor air is even more popular than some of our city’s best-loved teams.”

The poll was designed and administered by Fako and Associates, and included 400 Chicago adults, with questions aiming to learn about local attitudes and behaviors concerning smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.

“We’re releasing these poll results as the Illinois legislature prepares to return from its holiday recess, and special-interest groups are lobbying hard to create exemptions in the Smoke-free Illinois Act for casinos, race tracks and off-track betting venues,” Africk said. “Members of the General Assembly need to know that comprehensive smoke-free laws enjoy strong public support and also save lives.”

In addition to fighting against exemptions that would weaken Illinois’ smoke-free laws, Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago and other tobacco control advocates are urging the General Assembly to adopt legislation that would increase the cigarette tax by $1 per pack as a way to close the state’s revenue gap. The increase would generate more than $600 million for the state and would save lives by reducing the number of youth and adult smokers, which, in turn, would reduce others’ exposure to secondhand smoke.

A lifelong Cubs fan, Africk quips: “We’d rather not ‘wait till next year’ to start earning this revenue and saving more lives.”

Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC) has been a local public health leader since 1906. Today, the association addresses asthma, COPD, lung cancer, tobacco control and air quality with a comprehensive approach involving research, education and advocacy activities. To learn more, visit lungchicago.org ^[1].

From the Dec. 5-11, 2011 issue