According to Gallup’s annual Consumption Poll, only 28% of American smokers believe secondhand smoke is very harmful to adults (followed by 46% somewhat harmful, 15% not too harmful, and 9% not at all harmful). Of non-smoking Americans, 63% believe secondhand smoke is very harmful to adults (followed by 28% somewhat harmful, 6% not too harmful, and 2% not harmful at all). However, when smokers were asked how harmful smoking is to adults who smoke, 60% of smokers believe that it is very harmful (followed by 31% somewhat harmful, 1% not too harmful, and 6% not at all harmful); while 86% of nonsmokers believe that smoking is very harmful to adults who smoke (followed by 31% somewhat harmful, 1% not too harmful, and 2% not harmful at all). Findings suggest that Americans are much more likely to believe that smoking is harmful than they are to believe the same for exposure to secondhand smoke.
