THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 3, 1995 TAG: 9510030001
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Tobacco was the financial savior of the Jamestown settlers nearly four centuries ago. The golden leaf remains a major crop in Southside Virginia. The largest employer in the state capital is a tobacco company.
So is the commonwealth grateful? Not according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch/WWBT-TV poll of 508 registered voters across the state last month. They were asked:
``President Clinton has . . . proposed additional restrictions on advertising by tobacco companies to help reduce cigarette smoking among teenagers. Would you favor or oppose such a restriction?''
Given that a goodly number of Virginians tend to oppose anything President Clinton proposes, the answer to the question was surprising. Two-thirds supported the advertising restrictions.
Another poll question:
``As you may know, President Clinton says tobacco should be regulated as a drug because it contains nicotine, which some scientists say can be addictive. Would you favor or oppose such a regulation?''
Forty-six percent favored regulating nicotine as a drug.
Surely everyone has known an addicted smoker whose life was shortened or made miserable by cigarettes. Our bet is that more than half of respondents would favor regulating nicotine as a drug if the question were asked again in a few years.
Speaking of shortening lives, the same survey sought opinions on Virginia's new concealed-weapons law. It said:
``As you may know, Virginia has a new law that would allow virtually any law-abiding citizen to carry a concealed gun for personal protection. Do you think this law will help improve public safety or will it contribute to violent crime?''
Twenty-eight percent said the law would improve public safety, 56 percent - twice as many - said it would contribute to violent crime and 16 percent didn't know or didn't answer or didn't care or something.
It has always been a mystery to us and police associations - and apparently most people - why Gov. George Allen and the National Rifle Association are so convinced that having more citizens armed will make streets safer. With tongues in cheek a few months back, we advised that all workers be armed to make the workplace safer. To our knowledge no employers heeded our advice. So far, only the streets are being made ``safer.''
Of the Virginians surveyed, 2 percent had permits to carry hidden guns. Twelve percent said they planned to apply for a permit, which, under the new law, judges must almost always issue, though not to felons or the noticeably insane.
If 14 percent of Virginians - about one in seven - ever actually carry concealed weapons, it will be interesting to see whether bulletproof-vest sales pick up. In fact, an interesting poll question would be, ``What percentage of Virginians must carry concealed weapons before you begin to wear a bulletproof vest?'' by CNB