Oregonians overwhelmingly favor smokefree places, especially where children are present.
A survey conducted at the 2009 Oregon State Fair found that 90 percent of respondents would return to the state fair if it went smokefree. In fact, 92 percent said smoking should only be allowed in designated areas or nowhere on the fairgrounds. County fairgoers in Tillamook, Douglas, Marion and other counties also overwhelmingly support smokefree fairs.
Smokefree fairs protect fair-goers from secondhand smoke, which is dangerous outside and in. They also help show youth that smoking is not the norm, which is especially important because kids who start smoking before they are 18 are more likely to be long-term smokers. In fact, 80 percent of adult smokers in Oregon started smoking before they were 18, and 90 percent started before they were 20. Preventing kids from starting means fewer smokers in the future.
