Public opinion has been influenced by the increased publicity about the dangers of passive smoking. Surveys undertaken in the mid-1980s,(108,137) showed that there was already a high public awareness of the issues of smoking in public places and the workplace, with majority support for workplace bans in particular. More recent studies have shown that public opinion has strengthened, large majorities favouring smokefree or restricted smoking in workplaces and restaurants.(110,111,138,139,140) A recent Victorian survey has shown strong support for smoking bans in childcare centres, toy shops, fast food chains and family restaurants.(141) Public opinion about smoking in restaurants is discussed in Section 6.11 above. Public opinion about the health risks of passive smoking is included in Section 6 of Chapter 4.
Table 6.3 below shows findings from a national survey undertaken in 1993 which examined attitudes to smoking in public places.(140)