State legislators' attitudes and voting intentions toward tobacco control legislation.
OBJECTIVE
This study describes state legislators' knowledge, attitudes, and voting intentions with regard to tobacco-related issues.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey of state legislators was conducted in North Carolina, Texas, and Vermont in 1994.


RESULTS
Most legislators agreed that secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer in nonsmokers, and a majority believed that smokers are addicted to nicotine. More than 75% stated that they would support a measure to enforce laws preventing tobacco sales to youth. A majority of Texas and Vermont legislators supported an increase in the state cigarette excise tax; 43% of North Carolina legislators would support an increase if revenues were directed toward tobacco farmer diversification.


CONCLUSIONS
State legislators believe tobacco to be addictive, and they support policies to protect youth from tobacco. Support for other legislative measures differs significantly across states.
Goldstein
A O
AO
Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7595, USA.
Cohen
J E
JE
Flynn
B S
BS
Gottlieb
N H
NH
Solomon
L J
LJ
Dana
G S
GS
Bauman
K E
KE
Munger
M C
MC
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D009657:North Carolina; D011057:Politics; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013219:State Government; D013660:Taxes / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013781:Texas; D019460:Tobacco Industry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States; D014707:Vermont