Results from Zogby Poll · September, 2003

Methodology

Zogby International conducted interviews of 1,013 likely voters chosen at random nationwide. All calls were made from Zogby International headquarters in Utica, N.Y., from Wednesday, September 3 to Friday, September 5, 2003. The margin of error is +/- 3.2%. Slight weights were added to region, party, age, race, religion, and gender to more accurately reflect the voting population. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest percent and might not total 100.

Narrative Summary

41. A downed animal is a cow or other animal who is too sick to stand or walk, but who is sent to slaughter to be used for human consumption. How acceptable is it that downed animals are being used for human food?

Very acceptable 9%
Somewhat acceptable 10%
           Total Acceptable 19 %
Somewhat unacceptable 14%
Very unacceptable 63%
           Total Unacceptable 77%
Not sure 5%

More than three-fourths of the U.S. population feels it is unacceptable to use downed animals for human consumption (77%). One-fifth says it is acceptable.

Approximately four-fifths each of Democrats, those with a high school education or some college, women, and adults over the age of 65 are likely to believe that using downed animals for human consumption is unacceptable (83%). In addition, Hispanics (87%) and African Americans (84%) are more likely to feel the use of downed animals is unacceptable.

One-fourth of voters between the ages of 30-49, and 31% between ages 25-34 feel this an acceptable practice. Approximately 24% of college graduates, men, and single adults agree.

42. Downed animals are widely believed to be the most likely to be afflicted with mad cow disease, and the cow recently confirmed to have mad cow disease in Canada was a downed animal. The U.S. Department of Agriculture encourages downed animals to be sent to slaughterhouses, saying that they need to be tested for mad cow disease this way. But consumer advocates point out that most downed animals who are sent to slaughterhouses enter the human food chain without being tested for mad cow disease. How concerned are you that sending downed animals to slaughterhouses could put human consumers at risk for mad cow disease?

Very concerned 61%
Somewhat concerned 20%
           Total Concerned 81%
Not very concerned 10%
Not at all concerned 7%
           Total Not Concerned 17%
Not sure 2%

A good majority of the U.S population is concerned that sending downed animals to slaughterhouses could put human consumers at risk for mad cow disease (81%). Fewer than one-fifth is not concerned.

Almost all Democrats, high school graduates, women, and Hispanics are likely to be concerned (about a 90% average).

Those who show little concern are about 22% each of Republicans, college graduates, single adults, men, people living in a small city, and those between the ages of 25-34.