PORTLAND — A new poll shows that 42 percent of cigarette smokers in Maine support a ban on smoking in indoor public places.

The poll, conducted by a South Portland marketing firm, also provides a statistical profile of Maine smokers. The typical Maine smoker is between 35 and 54 years of age, has a household income of $50,000 or less and didn’t graduate from college.

Last month, the Maine Legislature banned smoking in many indoor places starting next January. The restrictions do not apply to restaurants, bars or bingo and beano halls. Restaurants must have space set aside for nonsmokers under current law.

The executive director of the American Lung Association of Maine said the poll shows that there may be less opposition to smoking restrictions than previously thought.

Edward Miller pointed to the 37 percent of smokers who “strongly oppose” a ban on cigarette smoking in all public places.

“It certainly counters the myth that all smokers think they should be able to smoke anyplace, anytime, with no restrictions,” said Miller.

The poll, conducted by Market Decisions, has a margin of error of 4 percent on the question regarding smoking in public places, said Barbara Nash, vice president of the polling company. Four hundred people were questioned.

The margin of error increased to 6 percent for demographic details of smokers, and 10 percent on the characteristics of smokers because of the reduced sample size.

According to the poll, 42 percent of Maine smokers support to some extent an indoor smoking ban in public places. Fifty-six percent oppose the ban, and 3 percent have no opinion.

Among nonsmokers, 78 percent support a ban, 17 percent oppose it and 4 percent have no opinion.

The results of the poll reaffirmed long-held notions that blue-collar workers and people with lower incomes are more likely to smoke, said Nash.

Among respondents who were smokers, only 12 percent had finished college. Only 17 percent of the smokers surveyed had household incomes of $50,000 or more.

Southern Maine had the highest percentage of nonsmokers, at 80 percent. The survey indicated that the lowest percentage of nonsmokers, at 66 percent, was in central Maine.

Smokers were slightly more likely to live in small towns than in urban areas, suburbs or rural parts of Maine, the survey found.