Poll: Most don't want more tobacco regs

PRINCETON, N.J., June 22 (UPI) -- A majority of Americans, especially smokers, said they disapprove of new laws expanding the government's regulatory power over tobacco, a poll indicated.

By 52 percent to 46 percent, more respondents said they don't like the idea of government having greater authority over tobacco products, a Gallup Poll released Monday indicated. Congress last week passed such a measure last week.

The poll indicated 69 percent of smokers said they disapproved, while 28 percent said they favored the broader government oversight. Views among non-smokers were closer, with 50 percent indicating approval and 48 percent indicating disapproval, the poll said.

Besides the smoker-nonsmoker difference, attitudes also varied significantly by education and party affiliation, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said. While 62 percent of post-graduates approve of increasing the government's regulatory powers over tobacco, 36 percent of people with no more than high school education indicated they shared this view.

The poll indicated a majority of Democrats, 54 percent, voice approval of the new governmental powers, while 62 percent of Republicans disapproved.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews with 1,011 adults conducted June 14-17. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.