New Siena Poll Shows New Yorkers Views On Vaping, Opioids and Legal Marijuana
Local News October 7, 2019A new poll from the Siena College Research Institute offers insight into some of the views of New Yorkers around the topics of vaping/e-cigarettes, the opioid crisis and the potential legalization of marijuana.
Vaping
According to the poll, 78% of New Yorkers now consider e-cigarette use and vaping a serious public health problem, with 28% believing it to be “somewhat serious” and another 50% saying it’s “very serious.”
Sixty-one percent support the emergency executive order banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, which is currently on hold since a decision to do so last week by a state appellate court.
Just over half of New Yorkers support banning e-cigarettes from sale altogether (52%), with 74% in support of at least raising the age to purchase nicotine products to 21 in all New York counties.
The survey also found that 12% of all New Yorkers vape on a regular basis.]
Opioids
Sixty-two percent of state residents reported being “touched by opioid abuse,” up from 54% in February 2018. Each of the five conditions that define being touched by opioids is up from the earlier survey:
Twenty percent (up from 16%) say they or someone in their immediate family has abused opioids, 25% (up from 14%) know someone through work that has abused opioids, and 35% (up from 24%) know of someone that has died due to opioid overdose.
Thirty-eight percent (up from 25%) has had opioid abuse among their friends or extended family, and 49% (up from 25%) has had a friend, co-worker or acquaintance share with them that they have had opioid abuse in their family.
Over the past two years, 26% (up from 24%) have been prescribed opioids for pain by a doctor
Legal Marijuana
By 56-36 percent, New Yorkers convincingly support the legalization of recreational marijuana, but by 53-39 percent they also believe legalization will lead to more use and abuse among young people.
Forty-seven percent think legal marijuana will lead to workplace problems,.
More than half (52%) of New Yorkers say they’ve used marijuana in the past and 21% currently do.
“While opioid abuse is seen as the most serious public health issue, concerns over vaping have risen dramatically and now approach a level similar to opioids. Marijuana is seen as the least serious from a list that also includes obesity, tobacco and alcohol,” said Siena College Research Institute Director Don Levy.