Community perceptions about the tobacco industry and tobacco control funding

Abstract

Objectives: To determine community views about the believability and standards of honesty and ethics of tobacco companies, related policy options, and mechanisms for tobacco control funding. Method: A representative population survey of 808 South Australians aged 18 years and older, contacted by telephone, using an electronic white pages sampling frame, with a response rate of 72%. Results: 80% of respondents and 74% of smokers thought tobacco companies mostly did not or never told the truth about smoking and health, children and smoking and addictiveness of tobacco. With regard to perceived standards of honesty and ethics, tobacco company executives were rated the lowest of all professional..