Starbucks, Note: Most in Poll, Particularly Women, Don't Want Guns in Stores

A solid majority of Americans favor Starbucks and other retail
establishments establishing strict "no guns" policies for their retail
premises. The numbers are dramatically more pronounced among women who
say the current policy allowing guns makes them fear for their safety.
This data comes from a new poll conducted for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Details of the Starbucks related polling were released today in Seattle in partnership with Washington Ceasefire.

"Retailers - especially Starbucks - who allow guns in stores risk losing business," said Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research Partners, which conducted the national poll of 600 registered voters April 26-28.

Fifty-six
percent of those polled want Starbucks to adopt a "no guns" policy on
their premises while only 31 percent opposed such a policy. Of those
who support a "no guns" policy, 42 percent were strongly in favor.

Among
women, the results of the poll should be viewed as alarming for
Starbucks. Sixty-three percent of women favor Starbucks adopting a "no
guns" policy for their premises, including 69 percent of Democratic
women and 60 percent of rural women.

A full 47 percent of
women - and 57 percent of women who identify themselves as Democrats,
54 percent of older women and 52 percent of women of color - said they
were less likely to go to Starbucks because of the policy. About a
third of women (32 percent) said they were "much less likely" to go to
Starbucks because of the policy.

Among those polled, 37
percent are less likely to go to a Starbucks because of the chain's
current policy allowing the open carry of firearms, with only 15
percent more likely to go to Starbucks. Forty-six percent of
respondents said it would make no difference - but this includes people
who don't go to Starbucks, or don't even drink coffee.

"When
it comes to guns in its stores, Starbucks needs to wake up and smell
the coffee," said Dennis Henigan, Vice President for Law and Policy at
the Brady Center. "The public does not support the company's policy of
allowing guns in its stores and the feeling is especially strong among
women. When a third of women say that its gun-friendly policy makes
them 'much less likely' to visit Starbucks, the company is risking the
loss of a huge part of its market."

"These numbers validate
our original thinking that Starbucks' failure to stand up to the gun
groups is bad for business," said Ralph Fascitelli, President of the
Board of Washington Ceasefire. "Their timid response on this issue has
been disappointing to say the least."

Even gun owners support
a "no guns" policy for Starbucks. Forty-eight percent of gun owners
want Starbucks to prohibit guns, while 37 percent oppose such a
policy. Urban respondents favor a no guns policy by 27 points,
suburban respondents by 30 points, and even rural residents prefer it
by 18 points.

The poll carries a margin of error of plus or minus four percent. Among the findings:

*
Republicans favor Starbucks barring guns 50-37; political independents
want a "no guns" policy at Starbucks 55-30; men favor a "no guns"
policy 48-34; rural residents favor "no guns" 52-33 and non-college
graduates favor a "no guns" policy at Starbucks 56-30.

* Fully
49 percent of non-gun owners and 47 percent of older Americans say they
are less likely to go to Starbucks because of the policy allowing guns.
And 65 percent of people who don't own a gun want Starbucks to change
its policy.

Yesterday, the Brady Center released additional information from the poll,
showing that more Americans feel unsafe knowing people can carry guns
openly in public than feel safer - and a third feel much less safe with
that knowledge. Half of those polled said that the open carrying of
guns in public make them feel less safe, with 31 percent saying they
feel much less safe. And 63 percent of women say open carry make them
feel less safe.

Paul Helmke, the Brady President, is
scheduled to speak to news media in Charlotte, North Carolina tomorrow
(Friday, May 14), the site of the National Rifle Association annual
meeting featuring speakers including Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich.
The time and location of that press briefing will be announced
separately.

A broader set of the polling data is available at www.BradyCenter.org, and more will be added to the website Friday after the Charlotte, N.C. press briefing.

The
controversy about the open carrying of firearms began early this year
when groups of gun activists began gathering at coffee houses and
restaurants - primarily in California, and including Starbucks
locations - with openly visible guns strapped to their hips. While
some retail chains, including California Pizza Kitchen and Peet's
Coffee and Tea, responded by announcing firm "no guns" policies,
Starbucks officials said they would allow guns in the company's stores.


The Brady Campaign launched a petition online in February, in partnership with CREDO Action,
asking Americans to urge Starbucks to bar guns from its stores. So far
nearly 36,000 have signed. The Brady Campaign has also posted videos
related to the Starbucks issue on its YouTube page. View them at www.youtube.com/bradycampaign#p/a/u/0/aStG6cWyF2Y.

More information about "open carry," including which states allow it, is at www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/gunlobbybacked/opencarryguns.