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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0593.040 2022-2024 l -rMVvAI I /Council PUBLIC silk [az N EALTN , cUUN1 k,f CL.b \ COHN.�� COUNTY OF HAWA!i INSTITUTE HIPHI Board 7I373 NC 19 AM 9: 37 Misty Pacheco,DrPH Date: December 15, 2023 Chair University of Hawaii at Hilo To: Heather Kimball, Chair& Presiding Officer JoAnn Tsark.MPH Holeka Inaba,Vice Chair Secretary John A.Burns School of Medicine, Members of the Hawai'i County Council Native Hawaiian Research Office Debbie Erskine Re: Support for Bill 102 AMENDS CHAPTER 14 OF THE HAWAI'I Treasurer COUNTY CODE 1983 (2016 EDITION, AS AMENDED), BY ARCH-MEPS Consulting LLC.Owner ADDING A NEW ARTICLE RELATING TO THE PROHIBITION OF Keshia Adolpho.LCSW FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS Na"au Healing Center Camonia Graham-Tutt,PhD Mtg: Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 9AM University of Hawaii- West Oahu Carissa Holley.MEd Hale Makua Health Services Hawai'i Public Health Institute' HIPHI( ) takes this opportunity to submit Jennifer Jose Lo,MD testimony in strong support of Bill 102 which would end the sale of Hawaii Pacific Health flavored tobacco products in the County of Hawai'i when the power to Dina Shek.JD regulate the sale of tobacco products is restored to the counties. We want Medical-Legal Partnership to thank the the Committee for consideringsuch an important and timely Children in Hawaii p policy. We recommend a minor amendment to create clarity in the Garret Sugai product". definition of "flavored tobacco Kathleen Roche.MS,RN,CENF Kaiser Permanente youtha flavored of Hawai'i started with fld product,' and by ending the sale of all menthol and other flavored tobacco products, the county can Mayu MD,MS prioritize the health and safety of our community. A report by the US John A..Burns School of Medicine. Department of Pediatrics Food and Drug Administration, issued in 2013, found that menthol Titiimaea Ta'ase.JD cigarettes led to increased smoking initiation among youth and young State of Hawaii,Deputy Public adults, more significant addiction, and decreased success in quitting Defender smoking. Candy, sweet, and menthol flavored tobacco attracts youth and makes nicotine tolerable. HIPHI Initiatives Coalition for a Unregulated menthol and flavored tobacco products severely threaten our Tobacco-Free Hawaii established tobacco control policies and do not protect our children. Community Health Flavor tobacco products have such a negative impact on public health that Worker Initiative over 360 localities have passed restrictions on the sale of flavored tobacco COVID-19 Response products, and at least 170 of those communities restrict the sale of Hawaii Drug&Alcohol Free menthol cigarettess as well as other flavored tobacco products.' Coalitions Hawai'i Farm to School Hui Flavored products are driving youth use. Hawaii Oral Health Coalition Flavors in tobacco products entice youth, and nicotine keeps them addicted. In 2020, 8 in 10 youth who use e-cigarettes reported using a Hawaii Public Health Training Hui flavored product. Of youth e-cigarette users, 85% use flavored products, Healthy Eating+Active Living and fruit, candy/desserts/other sweets, mint, and menthol are reported as Kupuna Collective the most popular flavors'''. According to the 2021 YRBS, Hawaii County teens are using E-Cigarettes at a hgher rate than all other counties, and 6% of 6th graders, nearly 8% of 7th graders, and 9.3% of 8th graders are using ESDs. Ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products will reduce their appeal and protect our children from a lifetime of addiction. Comm. No. I �I Ref. To: Ref. Date EC 2 0 2023 Menthol is a significant risk to health in Hawai'i. Tobacco companies use menthol as a calculated tactic to hook new consumers. Menthol's cooling and numbing properties mask the harshness of tobacco. The tobacco industry aggressively targets its marketing to certain populations, including young people, women, and racial and ethnic minority groups'. Menthol is one of the most popular youth flavors in Hawai'i. Furthermore, 78% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders who smoke use menthol cigarettes". Studies show that youth and young adults are more likely to try a menthol cigarette as their first cigarette, and those who first start with a menthol cigarette are more likely to continue smoking'. In Hawaii, 66% of those who smoke use menthol cigarettes compared to 32% who smoke them nationally"" Menthol enhances the efficts of nicotine, which is an addictive drug. Menthol can make tobacco products even more addictive, and in recent years, tobacco companies have increased the amount of nicotine in some menthol cigarettes. If menthol cigarettes were no longer available, roughly 4,400 additioanl adults in Hawai'i who smoke would quit smoking""' Kids have shifted dramatically to disposable and menthol e-cigarettes, two categories of products left on the market under current federal restrictions. These shifts show that the only way to end this crisis is to eliminate all flavored tobacco products'. Hawaii voters want restrictions. In a December 2022 pollx of registered voters on O'ahu conducted by Ward Research Inc., 93% of respondents said that school aged children yapping or using e-cigarettes is a major problem; 79%of support a law prohibiting all flavors, including menthol, of tobacco products, and e-cigarettes; and, 84% believe that the use of e-cigarettes or vaping devices is harmful for Hawai'i's children, teens and families. By passing this legislation,with the suggested amendment, the county sends a strong, clear message to the public that the County of Hawai'i is committed to uplifiting the health and well- being of its residents and showing that community health is more important than tobacco profits. Thank you for considering this matter and our testimony. We are in strong support of the measure with the recommended changes for this important public health policy. Mahalo, (i(}5'16 711"Allb(4-- Peggy Mierzwa Director of Policy&Advocacy Hawai'i Public Health Institute 'The Hawai'i Public Health Institute(HIPHI)is a hub for building healthy communities,providing issue-based advocacy,education, and technical assistance through partnerships with government,academia,foundations,business,and community-based organizations. "https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0398.pdf "' https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/what-we-do/industry-watch/e- cigarettes#:—:text=Flavored%20prod ucts%20a re%20d riving%20youth,as%20the%20most%20popu la r%20flavors. '"https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic information/menthol/related-health- disparities.html#:—:text=ln%202023%2C%2040.4%25%20of%20middle,cigarettes%20reported%20using%20menth o f%20ciga rettes.&text=l n%202020%2C%2053%25%20of%20vo u ng,cigarettes%20reported%20u s i ng%2 hiphi.org • 707 Richards Street, Suite 300 • Honolulu, Hawai'i 96813 https://med.stanford.edu/news/al l-news/2020/08/vaping-linked-to-covid-19-risk-in-teens-and-young-adults.html vi https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/menthol/related-health- disparities.html#:-:text=ln%202023%2C%2040.4%25%20of%20middle,cigarettes%2Oreported%2Ousing%20menth of%20cigarettes.&text=In%202020%2C%2053%25%20of%20young,cigarettes%20reported%20using%20menthol% 20cigarettes. ""https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/menthol/state-menthol-fact-sheets.html#HI ""'https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/menthol/state-menthol-fact-sheets.html#HI x https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/what-we-do/industry-watch/e- cigarettes#:":text=Flavored%20prod ucts%20are%20drivi ng%20youth,as%20the%20most%20poou la r%20flavors. This study by Ward Research, Inc.summarizes findings from a phone survey among n=719 Hawaii registered voters(maximum sampling error+/-3.6%),conducted between November 4-29, 2022. hiphi.org • 707 Richards Street, Suite 300 • Honolulu, Hawai'i 96813 Teens Who Use E-Cigarettes 25 20 15 c a V 41 Q 10 5 0 County Source Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System(2021) Young Teens Who Use E-Cigarettes by Grade Level County: Hawaii Grade 6 z 5.8% Grade 7 7.6% Grade 8 12.7% Overall 9.3% 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 percent Source:Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System(2021) hiphi.org • 707 Richards Street, Suite 300 • Honolulu, Hawai'i 96813