A 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.

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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.