COM 0314.006 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. June 3rd 1997 Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Council, My issue today is not the legalization of marijuana nor the industrial benefits of hemp but the issue of leadership. I am asking members to note the direction our country is moving in regazds to the "drug abuse problem" and as each one of you consider what is best for your constituents 1 ask you to act as leaders and not followers. Leaders will note that President Clinton has repeatedly stated recently that the "the biggest health problem facing our nation today is tobacco....with over 400,000 Americans dying each yeaz from tobacco-related illnesses and nearly 90% of them starting to smoke before the age of 18." In 1995, 1,132 Hawaii residents died from tobacco related illnesses. These deaths were preventable. Obviously marijuana, from which there have been no reported deaths, is a miniscule drug problem by comparison with tobacco. Leaders will note that Governor Cayetano reports that in "1995 alone, Hawaii lost over $328 million as a result of the effects of smoking cigarettes." My estimate of Hawaii County's share of that loss caused by tobacco is about $38 million. There are no official estimates of any similar losses amibutable to marijuana. Leaders will note that the Hawaii State Dept. of Education recently reported that "an alarming 34% of Hawaii high school students are regular tobacco smokers compared to 22% in 1980 revealing a shocking increase in adolescents beginning a long term addiction and life shortening habit. " Leaders will also note that numerous studies indicate tobacco use precedes other drug use. The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reported in 1994 that an adult who smoked cigarettes as a child is 3 times more likely to use marijuana and 4 times more likely to use cocaine than one who did not smoke as a child. The 1995 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse stated that youths 12-17 who smoked tobacco were about 8 times as likely to use illicit drugs and 11 times as likely to drink heavily as non smokers. I assume that wise leaders intent on the pursuit of a wise drug abuse policy would spend public money relative to the `problems' associated with the different drugs that aze abused. For this reason I urge Members to act as wise leaders and take a stand on the drug abuse issue. Instead of"carte blanche" accepting Federal funding for marijuana eradication programs yeaz after year I ask that you pursue policies to use federal funding for the support of serious efforts to reduce the access of Hawaii's children to tobacco which is the major drug abuse problem in our county, our state and the nation. As Governor Cayetano said in relation to youth access to tobacco, "The key to a healthy and productive future is in the hands of Hawaii's youth. Let's give them the best opportunity for success by supporting them in reaching their goal. Graham Ellis - c~,.._