Data for the BRFSS is collected monthly, using the telephone interview mode of data collection. About 500 surveys are collected each month.

Over half (54 percent) of Wyoming residents now say they support allowing adults in Wyoming to legally possess marijuana for personal use. This continues the steady increase in support observed from 2014, 2016 and 2018, when support rose from 37 percent to 41 percent to 49 percent, respectively.

Looking across age groups, there is a clear pattern of younger age groups expressing more support for marijuana legalization. This support decreases as age increases — this observed pattern is a statistically significant trend.

There is popular support among younger Wyoming residents, with a majority of 18- to 24-year-olds (67 percent), 25- to 34-year-olds (74 percent), 35- to 44-year-olds (68 percent) and 55- to 64-year-olds (51 percent) supporting legalization. Support for legalization falls below a majority of those aged 45-55 (45 percent), 65-74 (40 percent) and 75-older (30 percent).

According to Rodney Wambeam, a senior research scientist at WYSAC, the support for recreational marijuana use reflects a decrease in the perceived risk or harm related to the drug.

“Despite the increasing dangers of marijuana use, such as addiction or drugged driving, young people in particular seem to view marijuana as a safe and natural alternative to alcohol or other illicit drugs,” Wambeam says.

As was the case in 2018, a large majority (85 percent) of Wyoming residents say they support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes if a doctor prescribes it. This has remained steady from 2018, when 86 percent reported that they support this.

Three-quarters of Wyoming residents (75 percent) believe that people convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana should not serve time in jail. This has increased from 69 percent in 2018 and from 66 percent in 2014.

“As laws regarding the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana change around the U.S., especially in nearby states, it’s not surprising to see attitudes in Wyoming change as well,” says Brian Harnisch, senior research scientist at WYSAC. “In all bordering states except Idaho, marijuana or medical marijuana has been legalized to some extent or decriminalized.”

The statewide survey was conducted Oct. 8-29, yielding 614 responses from randomly selected Wyoming citizens. The margin of error for the distribution of responses on any individual survey question is plus or minus 4 percentage points. Men and women from all age groups are represented, and all counties in Wyoming are proportionally represented in the survey sample. The final survey data have been weighted to reflect the actual population distribution in Wyoming on these key demographic characteristics.

Both landline and cellular telephone numbers were randomly generated for the study, resulting in 82 percent of completed surveys on cell phones. The survey is funded by WYSAC and UW’s School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies.

Complete survey results are available at: https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/reports/View/6710.

Of the roughly one-third of Wyomingites who say they or someone in their immediate family has lost their jobs, 64 percent say it’s likely those jobs or employment will return. Of the over half of Wyomingites who say they or someone in their immediate family have seen reductions in hours or pay, 73 percent are optimistic those hours or wages will be restored.

The survey, conducted Monday, April 27, is the third of multiple surveys WYSAC is conducting to measure public opinion on a number of topics related to COVID-19. A total of 496 Wyoming residents participated in the survey representing all Wyoming counties, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

“While most Wyoming residents continue to take the situation seriously, fewer residents are reporting that they are taking preventative measures,” says Brian Harnisch, senior research scientist in charge of the project at WYSAC. “While we do see an increase to nearly half of residents saying they now wear personal protective items in public places, we also see a decline in the number of people avoiding physical contact or turning down visits from friends or family, for example.”

Here are some of this survey’s key findings:

— Of those who report that they or someone in their family has been laid off or lost their jobs (35 percent), 64 percent say it is likely that the jobs or employment will return. Twenty percent say it is unlikely, while 17 percent are unsure if the jobs will return.

— Of those who report that they or someone in their family has seen work hours or pay reduced (57 percent), 73 percent say it is likely that these hours or pay will be restored. Fifteen percent say it is unlikely, while 12 percent are unsure if these hours or pay will be restored.

— Approval of the way Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon is handling the COVID-19 crisis remains high, with 75 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. Gordon’s net approval rating (approval minus disapproval) remains high at plus 54 percentage points.

— Approval of the way President Donald Trump is handling the COVID-19 crisis decreased slightly, with 59 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way he is handling things. Trump’s net approval rating decreased by 5.6 percentage points to plus 20.5 percentage points.

— Approval of the way local government and health officials are handling the COVID-19 crisis remains high, with 77 percent saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the way they are handling things. The net approval remains high for this group at plus 59 percentage points.

— Concern about the impact of COVID-19 on the economy continues to increase, with 76 percent saying they are very concerned.

Meanwhile, support for major policies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 continue to decline:

— 76 percent say they support the closure of K-12 schools, a decrease of 8 percentage points.

— 67 percent say they support the closure of daycare centers, a decrease of 11 percentage points.

— 64 percent say they support the closure of restaurants and bars, a decrease of 12 percentage points.

— 74 percent say they support the limiting of public gatherings, a decrease of 8 percentage points.

— 44 percent say they support a “shelter-in-place” order, a decrease of 4 percentage points.

Fewer Wyomingites say they are following the news about COVID-19 very closely: 43 percent say this is the case, a decrease of 6 percentage points from two weeks ago and a decrease of 14 points from a month ago.

More Wyoming residents say they believe the worst is behind us (20 percent) than did two weeks ago (14 percent). Some 37 percent of residents say the worst is yet to come, a decrease of 10 points from two weeks ago.

While the number of people in Wyoming who say they have not changed their daily routine because of COVID-19 remains steady (12.5 percent), there has been an observable shift from those who say they have changed it a lot to those who say they have changed it a little:

— Nearly 48 percent of residents say they have changed their routine a lot, a decrease of nearly 7 points from two weeks ago. Alternatively, nearly 40 percent say they have changed their routine a little — an increase of nearly 5 points.

— 71 percent of residents say they are avoiding physical contact with others, a decrease of 8 percentage points from two weeks ago.

— 46 percent say they are avoiding houses of worship, and 47 percent say they are declining visits from friends and family — a decrease of roughly 5 points for each from two weeks ago.

— Fewer people say they are spending more time at home in response to the COVID-19 crisis (73 percent) than said they were two weeks ago (78 percent).

— More people report that they are wearing personal protective items in public spaces than said so two weeks ago, with almost half (49 percent) saying they now do this — an increase of 4 percentage points.

Fewer Wyoming residents feel COVID-19 is a real threat that did two weeks ago, with 54 percent saying so now — a decrease of 7 points from two weeks ago. Alternatively, 36 percent say it is blown out of proportion — an increase of 7 points.

There is a trend of an increasing proportion of people who say they are very unlikely to get a vaccine for COVID-19 if one becomes available, with 19 percent saying they are very unlikely to now. Two weeks ago, 15 percent said they were very unlikely, while a month ago 10 percent said this.

Significantly fewer residents say they have had problems in the last two weeks buying the groceries and/or household items they need. Some 62 percent say they have experienced problems buying groceries or other food items, a decrease of 15 points from two weeks ago. Some 49 percent say they have experienced difficulty purchasing household items, a decrease of 18 points from two weeks ago.

To see the survey methodology, chart, figures, and complete survey results, download the full report.

Additionally, over 60 percent of the state’s residents or members of their immediate families have seen their work hours or pay cut because of the pandemic.

The survey, conducted April 13, is the second of multiple surveys WYSAC is conducting to measure public opinion on a number of topics related to COVID-19. A total of 494 Wyoming residents participated in the survey representing all Wyoming counties, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

“We are happy to have the ability field this research regularly throughout this pandemic,” said Brian Harnisch, senior research scientist in charge of the project at WYSAC. “We hope this information continues to prove useful throughout this period to our state and local government officials, the media and our fellow Wyoming community members as a whole.”

Here are some of this survey’s key findings and comparisons with the results from two weeks ago:

— 39.5 percent of residents say they or members of their immediate families have been laid off or lost their jobs, an increase of 7.7 percentage points in the last two weeks.

— 61.1 percent say they or members of their immediate families have seen their work hours or pay cut, an increase of 4.8 percentage points in the last two weeks.

— 74.3 percent say they are very concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, an increase of 2.9 percentage points.

— 30.6 percent say they are concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their personal finances, a decrease of 4.9 percentage points.

— 10.6 percent say they have not changed their daily routines specifically because of COVID-19, holding steady from 10.2 percent two weeks ago. Some 35.2 percent have changed their daily routine a little, while 54.2 percent said they have changed it a lot.

— 51.8 percent of residents say they are now declining visits from friends and family, an increase of 4.4 percentage points.

— 71.5 percent of residents say they are eating out less, which represents a decrease of 4 percentage points from two weeks ago.

— Nearly half (45.5 percent) of residents say they now wear personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves, when in public places.

— Over 77 percent say they are avoiding physical contact with others, spending more time at home and not attending public gatherings — representing the top three changes people have made to their behaviors in response to COVID-19.

— 24.1 percent say that the worst is behind us in the United States, an increase of 16.9 percentage points. Some 44.1 percent say the worst is yet to come, a decrease from 66.6 percent from two weeks ago.

Regarding policies enacted to slow the spread of the virus, support remains high for the closure of K-12 schools, with 84.4 percent support (-.9 percentage points); closure of day care centers, with 78.2 percent support (-2.7 percentage points); and limiting public gatherings, with 82.2 percent support (-6.3 percentage points). Support for a “shelter-in-place” order decreased from 54.4 percent two weeks ago to 47.8 percent (-6.6 percentage points).

If a vaccine becomes available, 76.4 percent say they will likely get the vaccine — a decrease of 3.8 percentage points from two weeks ago. Alternatively, 14.6 percent say they are very unlikely to get the vaccine — an increase of 4.3 percentage points.

The survey also asked for perspectives on the way local, state and national leaders are handling the virus response. Results from those questions include:

— 62.0 percent approve and 35.8 disapprove of the way President Donald Trump is handling COVID-19 — representing a net approval of +26.1 points, a decrease of 1.9 points from two weeks ago. Some 57.6 percent say they trust what they hear about the virus from him, an increase of 1.9 percentage points.

— 76.1 percent approve and 20.8 disapprove of the way Gov. Mark Gordon is handling COVID-19 — representing a net approval rating of +55.3 points, a decrease of 12.6 points from two weeks ago. Some 84.1 percent say they trust what they hear about the virus from him, a decrease of 2.7 percentage points.

— 41.9 percent approve and 49.5 percent disapprove of the way Congress is handling COVID-19 — representing a net approval rating of -7.6 points, a decrease of 2.2 points from two weeks ago.

— 77.4 percent approve and 18.6 percent disapprove of the way their local government and health officials are handling COVID-19 — representing a net approval rating of +58.8, a decrease of 3.7 percentage points from two weeks ago. Some 83.2 percent say they trust what they hear about the virus from them, a decrease of 2.6 percentage points.

This survey also asked how much people trust the information they hear about COVID-19 from the national news media, with 41.5 percent saying they trust what they hear a great deal or a good amount. Some 58.5 percent say they trust what they hear not very much or not at all.

Asked about how much they trust what they hear about COVID-19 from their local news media, 66.6 percent said they trust what they hear a great deal or a good amount, while 33.4 percent say they trust what they hear not very much or not at all.

Finally, asked if they think COVID-19 is a real threat or blown out of proportion, 61.0 percent say it is a real threat a 2.1 percentage point decrease; 28.8 percent say its blown out of proportion, a 4.6 percentage point increase; and 10.2 percent are unsure, a 1.8 percentage point decrease.

To see the survey methodology, questions, and complete presentation of results, download the report here.

And, more than half of the state’s residents or their immediate family members have seen reductions in work hours or pay because of the pandemic, with nearly three-quarters expressing deep concern about the impact of coronavirus on the economy.

The survey, conducted Monday, is the first of multiple surveys WYSAC plans to measure public opinion on a number of topics related to COVID-19. A total of 465 people participated in the weighted survey representing all Wyoming counties, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Here are some of the survey findings:

• 31.9 percent of respondents said they or immediate family members had been laid off or lost their jobs.
• 56.3 percent said they or immediate family members had seen a reduction in work hours or pay.
• 71.4 percent were very concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, with 22.7 percent somewhat concerned. Only 5.7 percent were not concerned.
•  75 percent were concerned about the impact of the coronavirus on their personal finances, with 24.9 percent not concerned.
• 89.8 percent said they’ve changed their daily routines because of the outbreak, with over 80 percent of those saying they’re eating out less, avoiding physical contact with others, washing their hands more frequently, not attending public gatherings and spending more time at home.
• About 66 percent said they think the worst is yet to come.

Regarding policies enacted to slow the spread of the virus, more than 80 percent supported the closure of schools, day care centers and restaurants, along with limitations on public gatherings. More than half — 54.4 percent — would support a state-level “shelter-in-place” order, with 22.3 percent opposed and 23.3 percent uncertain.

If a vaccine becomes available for COVID-19, 80.2 percent said they would be likely to seek the vaccine.

The survey also asked for perspectives on the way local, state and national leaders are handling the virus response. Results from those questions include:

• 62.2 percent approve and 34.3 percent disapprove of President Donald Trump’s performance on the issue, with 55.7 percent saying they trust the information about COVID-19 they hear from him and 44.3 percent saying they don’t.
• 81.9 percent approve and 14.1 percent disapprove of Gov. Mark Gordon’s handling of the situation, with 86.9 percent saying they trust the information he provides and 13.2 percent saying they don’t.
• 78.4 percent approve and 15.9 percent disapprove of the way local government and health officials are handling the outbreak, with 85.7 percent say they trust the information they hear from those sources and 14.3 percent saying they don’t.
• 47.6 percent say they approve of the way Congress is handling the pandemic, with 45.5 percent disapproving.

When it comes to the U.S. and Wyoming health care systems’ ability to handle the response to the pandemic, close to 51 percent said they have confidence in that ability, and about 30 percent said they don’t, with about 19.5 percent unsure.

Finally, asked if they think COVID-19 is a real threat or blown out of proportion, 63.8 percent said it’s a real threat, 24.2 percent said it’s blown out of proportion, and 12 percent were unsure.

Read the Issue Brief

Under contract with each state, WYSAC is evaluating this CDC-funded work by creating annual evaluation plans, forming evaluation indicators for process and outcome measures, and reporting progress on the evaluation indicators. Over the course of the evaluation, WYSAC will assess the approach, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of each state’s efforts.

The Division of Health Promotion at the North Dakota Department of Health been working with health care providers and other less traditional partners to help North Dakota residents prevent and manage type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. WYSAC will be helping the Division examine the effectiveness of working with new partners in this work.

WYSAC will work with North Dakota and the Chronic Disease Prevention Program at the Wyoming Department of Health to evaluate their work in the context of working in very rural states with severe winter weather, a population dispersed across large areas with few towns, and limited infrastructure for telehealth services. Although the work is not a direct continuation, WYSAC’s work in Wyoming is related to the previous evaluation of Wyoming’s CDC-funded State Public Health Actions to Prevent and Control Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity and Associated Risk Factors and Promote School Health.

WYSAC does similar work for the New Mexico Department of Health, described here.

Under contract with the Program, WYSAC is evaluating this CDC-funded work by creating annual evaluation plans, forming evaluation indicators for process and outcome measures, and reporting progress on the evaluation indicators.

Over the course of the evaluation, WYSAC will assess the approach, effectiveness, and impact of the program’s efforts with process and outcome evaluation work.

This project has some overlap with WYSAC’s evaluation of North Dakota’s efforts to help adults prevent and manage diabetes, heart disease, and stroke because both North Dakota programs work with some of the same oral healthcare providers.

Related Publications:

[Fact Sheet] Blood Pressure Pilot Project Results, Year 1

[Fact Sheet] Blood Pressure Pilot Project Results, Year 2