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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Testimonial for Why Smoking Should Be Banned at Kahaluu <br /> Dominique Saks <br /> 7-16-06 <br /> 91h Grade, Kealekehe High School <br /> <br /> Youth Hawaii Fisheries Council <br /> <br /> Kahalu'u Beach Park, a popular snorkeling and surfing beach, currently allows <br /> <br /> smoking within its perimeters. Smoking, which kills about 111,000 people every year, <br /> contains over 4,000 dangerous chemicals that harm the environment as well as people. <br /> <br /> Cigarettes happen to be the most littered item in America and are made of cellulose <br /> acetate that takes decades to degrade. Not only do these butts ruin a picturesque setting, <br /> <br /> but they also get into the water where toxic chemicals leak into the water threatening its <br /> quality and the aquatic life forms. The nicotine trapped inside those used filters are <br /> <br /> deadly, the amount in 200 is enough to kill an adult human. Many birds and animals <br /> mistake these butts for food. When animals low on the food chain ingest these <br /> <br /> chemicals and then are eaten by bigger life forms the toxins are concentrated and quickly <br /> spread up the food chain, often time, ending up in our stomachs. <br /> <br /> The tourist industry is the main source of income on this island. People fly in <br /> from all over the world to enjoy the tropic setting, including our beautiful marine <br /> <br /> ecosystems. If we destroy these ecosystems, a main source being cigarette pollution, our <br /> island will lose its beautiful and industrious value. <br /> <br /> I love the ocean and enjoy living in a place where I can view its majestic wonders <br /> every day. I have taken part in programs picking up trash at Kahaluu and the amount of <br /> <br /> cigarettes I picked up there astounded me. The butts are ugly to look at and I would like <br /> to keep the marine environment as healthy as possible so that future generations and I can <br /> <br /> enjoy it. <br /> When lying on the beach, drying off from the cool water, enjoying the warm sun, <br /> and taking in a deep breath of deadly toxins of cigarette smoke is annoying as well as <br /> <br /> unhealthy. I know there are many people who feel the same way about second hand <br /> smoke and it would be a lot more pleasant to go to the beach if you did not have to deal <br /> <br /> with it. <br /> The environment, animals and people who go to the beach to enjoy it deserve a <br /> <br /> healthy and beautiful place to go. By banning smoking at Kahaluu we can help preserve <br /> Hawaii's ecosystems and make the beach a cleaner, healthier place to enjoy. <br />