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AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION. Oahu o{Hawaii 680 Iwilei R. Suite 575 Honolulu, HI 96817 Thursday January 31, 2008 Fax'. (808) 537-5971 Phone: (808) 537-5966 TO: Donald Ikeda, Chairperson Kauai County Council Committee Members 2992 Umi Street Public Safety and Parks and Recreation Committee Lihue, HI 96766 Fax: 245-8488 Phone: e: (8 (808) 245-4142 FR: Sally Ancheta, American Lung Association of Hawaii, Senior Program Coordinator Maui 95 Mahalani Street RE: WRITTEN TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT of BILL 224, Wailuku, HI 96793 Relating To Smoking in Certain Places in the County of HawaPi Fax: (808) 242-9041 Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 9:30 a.m. Phone: (808) 244-5110 Committee on Public Safety and Parks and Recreation Hawaii 39 Ululani Street Aloha, I am Sally Ancheta, from the American Lung Association of Hawaii Hilo, HI 96720 (ALA of Hawaii) and I strongly see the benefits of the intent of Bill 224, which Fax: 935-7474 Phone: e: ( 808) 935-1206 would prohibit use of tobacco products at all County of Hawaii parks and beaches, effectively providing a clean and healthy environment for Hawaii's keiki, ohana, visitors and wildlife. w la: The mission of the American Lung Association of Hawaii is to reduce lung disease and improve lung health; Bill 224 would strongly assist us in E-Mail: accomplishing our mission. The ALA of Hawaii provides the only pediatric Iung0ala-hawaii.org school-based asthma education program as well as school-based tobacco education and prevention and tobacco cessation program for teens. As the Senior Program Coordinator for Hawaii Island, I see first hand the harmful effects of exposure to tobacco use. Nine out of 10 students in our asthma education program, Open Airways For Schools, are exposed to tobacco smoke from a family member. All of the teens in my Not- On-Tobacco teen smoking cessation program began their introduction to tobacco from a family member. Outdoors and family gatherings are our way of life on Hawaii Island. We need to improve the air quality and decrease exposure to tobacco products in county parks, facilities and beaches. Our children deserve outside recreation areas free of tobacco smoke. In our ALA programs, we promote exercise in both our asthma and cessation programs. How can we help our children, teens and adults improve their lung health when they are exposed to smoke and pollution in our parks, beaches and facilities? Here are a few facts to consider: • The Puna/Kau region have the highest rates of children with current asthma in the state at 16.2% of the population, the state rate is 9.7%. When You Can't • 45% of the children in our Tobacco Prevention and Education Breathe, program Word of Mouth are currently exposed to second hand Nothing Else smoke. Matters& • Second hand smoke kills over 50,000 people every year and it is preventable. Founded in 1904, the American In closing, the public's health should be protected wherever possible, including Lung Association includes affiliated associations througho while enjoying HawaiTs parks and beaches. Please accept this as written the U.S., and a medical section, testimony in support of this bill. the American Thoracic Society Sincerely, Sd4 e. 4*c4 r, Sally C. Ancheta, Senior Program Coordinator, ALA of Hawaii