HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0593.012 2022-2024 PiPccv
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COMM-g
From: Rebecca Brito w
Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2023 9:10 AM
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To: Council Testimony
Aloha,
• 39.7% of teens in Hawai'i County tried e-cigarettes, surpassing the Hawaii (32.4%)a d national
(36.2%) results.
• Flavors in tobacco products entice youth, while the nicotine keeps them hooked for life. In
2020, 8 in 10 youth who currently use e-cigarettes reported using a flavored product, up from
7 in 10 in 2019 (National Youth Tobacco Survey). Ending the sale of flavored tobacco products
will reduce the appeal of these products and protect our keiki from a lifetime of addiction.
• Menthol is just as, if not more, harmful than any other flavor in tobacco. Notorious for its ability
to mask the harshness of tobacco, menthol makes it easier to start and harder to quit. If our aim
is to protect our keiki and reduce the burden of-tobacco in our communities, we must include
menthol.
• Ending the sale of all flavored tobacco will advance health equity - disparities in tobacco use
are due to the tobacco industry's history of marketing menthol cigarettes to youth and people
of color. In Hawaii, 78% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander smokers use menthol
cigarettes (Hawai'i BRFSS, 2008). Mint and menthol-flavored e-cigarettes are one of the most
popular flavors among youth.
• Flavored products are driving this epidemic, where 85% of youth e-cigarette users use flavored
products.
• Big Tobacco knows that in order to have customers for life, they need to addict kids to nicotine
when they are young.
• At the local level, over 360 localities restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products.
Mahal() Nui,
Ms. Becky Brito
6th Grade Health Teacher
Kealakehe Intermediate School
Room F-16
808-313-3045
74-5062 Onipa'a St.
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" Lao Tzu
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Ref. To: 112 i �►T
1 Ref. Date DEC - 5 2023