THE TIMES POLL : Temporary Halt in Medfly Spraying Is Widely Backed

Most Californians think the Deukmejian Administration should temporarily halt the aerial spraying of malathion until more studies can be conducted into possible health hazards of the pesticide, according to the Los Angeles Times Poll.

During the moratorium, citizens think, the state should use “safer methods” of trying to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly--presumably by releasing larger numbers of sterile Medflies.

The Times poll represented the first statewide measure of public opinion about malathion spraying in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Telephone interviews were conducted with 2,058 California adults from Feb. 24 to March 1. The margin of error was three percentage points in either direction.

Asked whether they thought there should be a temporary halt to the Medfly spraying or if it should be continued, 57% of those interviewed favored a halt--and 36% said they felt “strongly” about their view. Only 35% believed the spraying should continue. The remaining 8% were not sure.

Even in the Central Valley--which as the state’s biggest producer of crops stands to lose the most from a widespread Medfly infestation--the majority of people favored a moratorium. Every region of California, in fact, supported a moratorium. Los Angeles County was the most adamant, with 62% demanding a halt to the spraying.

Across the state, a spraying moratorium was supported particularly by political liberals, younger people, blacks and Latinos. But business executives were less opposed to spraying than the average. And Republicans generally tended to be more sympathetic toward the spraying.