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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0746.068 2000-2002 COALITION F.OR A To ACco FREE HA Aili 245 N. Kukui Street, Suite 201 Honolulu, Hl 96817 Tel: (808) 432-9117 Fax: (808) 524-9072 Governing Board: Novmber 26, 2002 American Cancer Society Hmvai'i Pacific, Inc. American Nancy Pisicchio, Council Chair 9E'Wli Heart Association of Hawai'i Human Services and Economic Development Committee a Hawaii County Council lbw. 1 -'I'_ American Lung Association of Hawaii Aloha Chair Pisicchio and Council members; r a % A t Cancer Research Center of Hawaii My name is Toni Symons and I am here to represent The Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii, Hawai `i State Department of Education a statewide association of over 140 member organizations, businesses and individuals Hawai'i State Department of committed to working together to reduce the negative impact tobacco use has on the health and Health Hawai'i Medical wellbeing of Hawai` is residents and visitors. The seven founding members of the Coalition are Association the American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific, Inc., American Heart Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Medical Services Association American Lung Association of Hawaii, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, Hawaii State Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Department of Education, Hawaii State Department of Health, and the Hawaii Medical Health Center Ko'olauloa Tobacco Free Association. Coalition East Hawai'i Tobacco Free Coalition The Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii appreciates this opportunity to testify and would like Kauai Tobacco Free Community to thank the Hawai` i County Council f or taking up the important health and safety issue of Coalition extending smokefree workplace protection for restaurants. The Coalition strongly supports Maui Tobacco Free Partnership West Hawaii Tobacco Free protection from second hand smoke for all workers in all workplaces, and supports the passage Coalition of Bill 260 as a tremendous step to accomplish this. Members-at-large Fred Holsehuh, MD As of July 3, 2002 over 440 municipalities across the country have enacted smokefree Mark Levin, JD A1art Matsunaga, JD workplace ordinances including restaurants, over 160 have ordinances that include bar areas Anthony Saguibo, JD within restaurants, and over 88 with ordinances that include all bars. The Honolulu City and Elizabeth Tani, MD County ha,* passed ordinances that make all workplaces, except for free-standing nightclubs and Sandra McGuinness,Chair bars, smoke-free. Maui and Kauai Counties have just passed ordinances making all restaurants Coordinator, Maui Tobacco Free Partnership smoke-free. It is simply the right thing to do to provide worker protection from exposure to the Kim Ku'ulei Burnie, Vice Chair harmful substances that make up second hand tobacco smoke. It is time, based on what is Hawai' i Primary Care Association known about the harmful effects of exposure to second hand smoke and the lack of any negative Clifford Director MPH, etll Pr economic repercussions, to pass a bill that protects workers on the Big Island Project Toni Ann Symons Grass Roots Advocacy Coordinator Beth Koch Comm. No. Communications Coordinator File No. Funded in part by the Robert Ref. Wood Johnson Foundation 9 3. SSii f t Ref. Date _ 5 5:4•{ ~ d0' i,~ {.>...--z.m,. COALITION FOR A TOBACCO FREE HAWAVI Governing ;Board: American Cancer Society I have attended every hearing throughout the state and heard every concern and argument. I Hawaii Pacific, Inc. American Heart Associatio will briefly address the most common concerns, the data and economics. Hawaii American LungAssociatior Some people have testified questioning whether second hand smoke is a Class A Carcinogen, pointing to Hawaii Cancer Research Center o> Judge Osteen's ruling overturning the chapters related to second hand smoke as a Class A carcinogen in th Hawat i 1992 FDA report. On the Philip Morris's website is the following statement regarding this ruling: Hawaii State Department Education Hawaii State Department The court - in a decision that EPA is now appealing. - rejected the EPA assessment, largely based on Health Hawaii dledical findings that the agency did not adhere to applicable legal requirements and failed to adequately Association, explain its results. Hawaii Medical Services Association Wai'anae Coast Comprehe Note that Philip Morris itself did not say the ruling was invalidated because the conclusions were wrong, Health Center only that the FDA did not adhere to legal requirements and did not adequately explain the results. In Ko'olauloa Tobacco Free Coalition addition, the ruling did not overturn any of the FDA conclusions regarding ETS exposure causing other East Hawai'i Tobacco Fret diseases, including heart disease and asthma, in nonsmokers. Coalition Kauai Tobacco Free Comm Coalition As for the fears that going smoke-free will hurt the restaurant and tourism industry, since the Oahu smoke Maui Tobacco Free Partne free restaurant ordinance has gone into effect on July 1S`, preliminary indications are that restaurants are West Hawaii Tobacco Fre doing just fine. While it is too early to have good data based on sales revenue, anecdotal information seen- Coalition. Members-at-large: to indicate restaurants have not lost any business, and tourism has not fallen off. Reporter Grace Lee, Fred Holschuh, MD KGMB 9 News, reported that one month after O`ahu's ordinance took effect, the Hawaii Restaurant Mark Levin, JD Association, which had opposed the Oahu ordinance, called 40 of their member restaurants. Matt Matsunaga, JD None reported any negative effect on business, with a number reporting in increase in business. KGMB 9 Anthony Saguibo, JD called 14 restaurants on their own, and again, none reported any loss of business and a number reported an Elizabeth Tam, MD increase in business. (I did call the Hawaii Restaurant Association to see if I could get the names of the Sandra McGuinness,Chair Coordinator, Maui Tobaccc restaurants that they called, but the Association would not release this information to me.) Partnership Kim Ku`ulei Birnie, Vice C Hawaii Primary Carc Association Clifford Chang, MPH, CH; Project Director Toni Ann Symons Grass Roots Advocacy Coordinator Beth Kuch Communications Coordinator Funded in part by the Robe Wood Johnson Foundation COALITION FOR A o Acco FREE HmAil The Coalition believes all workers, including those working in bars and nightclubs, deserve a Governing Hoard: workplace free from second hand smoke. Second hand smoke exposure in restaurants is often American Cancer Society Hawai`i Pac double what is found in a typical workplace, and it is 4 to 6 times higher in bars than in offices. Pacific, Inc. American Heart Association of However, the Coalition also recognizes that these laws work best when they have strong public Hawaii support. While approximately 70% of Hawai`i's residents support smoke-free workplaces American Lung Association of Hawaii including restaurants, the number is less for the inclusion of bars. Should bars and nightclubs be Cancer Research Center of exempted from the Bill 260 at this time, the Coalition is committed to increasing public support Hawaii Hawaii State Department of for all workplaces, including bars and nightclubs, to be smoke-free. Education Hawaii State Department of Health Hawaii Medical Going smoke-free costs nothing for businesses to implement; in fact, businesses will save money Association in reduced ma,: tenance costs. Implementation will not result in any loss of revenue or a decreas Hawaii Medical Services Association in tourism; in fact, it may result in increased revenue. It protects workers' health and their Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center working conditions, which does much to improve their morale. Passage of Bill 260 will Ko'olauloa Tobacco Free demonstrate that all counties of Hawai` i are committed Hawai `i being the "Health State." Thani, Coalition you for this opportunity to testify. East Hawaii Tobacco Free Coalition Kauai Tobacco Free Community Toni Ann Symons Coalition Maui Tobacco Free Partnership West Hawaii Tobacco Free Coalition Members-at-large: Fred Holschuh, MD Mark Levin, JD Matt Matsunaga, JD Anthony Saguibo, JD Elizabeth Tam, MD Sandra McGuinness,Chair Coordinator, Maui Tobacco Free Partnership Kim Ku`ulei Bimie, Vice Chair Hawaii Primary Care Association Clifford Chang, MPH, CHES; Project Director Toni Ann Symons Grass Roots Advocacy Coordinator Beth Kuch Communications Coordinator Funded in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation