Gallup polls Americans on smoking, marijuana use, and McCain’s image

NewsWorks Tonight host Dave Heller sits down for his weekly conversation with Gallup’s Frank Newport to talk about trends in U.S. opinion.

It’s remarkable how positive John McCain’s image remained throughout the 2008 campaign, in sharp contrast to the image of the Republican nominee.

Almost half of Americans say they have used marijuana at some point in their lives, but despite the increased legalization of pot at the state level in recent years, the percentage who say (or admit) that they are current users is steady at the 11 to 13 percent level over the past three years.

Should smokers be discriminated against in the workplace? Sure, say Americans….six in 10 of whom say it’s ok to charge higher insurance rates for smokers. But not for those who are overweight.