Poll: NYers Divided on Effect of Outdoor Smoking Ban

New Yorkers are divided over whether the outdoor smoking ban that went into effect at parks, public plazas and beaches this spring is making any difference on puffing in public.

A Marist College poll released Monday finds 45 percent of those surveyed believe it is mostly working, while 41 percent say it is not.

The poll found that 69 percent like the ban, 26 percent say it is a bad idea and 4 percent are unsure.

About 17 percent of respondents were smokers. Half of them said the smoking ban hasn't affected them at all, 34 percent said it has had a negative effect and 16 percent said it has had a positive result.

Marist polled 808 New Yorkers from July 20 to July 27. The poll had a 3.5 percentage point margin of error.

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