HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0013.233 2002-2004
07/01/2003 11:57 60B935~+780 AMERICAN CANCER PAGE 01
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DONNA A. CHALMERS '03 JUL
HCR 3 BOX X1.074 1 HI711 54
KEAAU, HAWAII 96749
PHONE & FAX 808-966-4452 OOU~; Gf F~i;~`
COUNTY il- HAW,gp
July 1, 2003
Uear Hawaii County Council Members
1 am in support of council bill 260 prohibiting smoking in all worksites including bars.
I support this bill because of my personal work experience.
? 1 worked on a dinner cruise off Waikiki where smoking was allowed.
? I worked in a car dealership where smoking was allowed. I was confined to a small
reception area. The salesmen were free to roam an area lazge enough to hold eight cars.
yet would frequently congregate around my azea and smoke.
? I worked in an advertising agency where my supervisor and another setrior employee
would chain-smoke n~ meetings with me present.
It was easy forme as an employee in these smoking enviromnents to recognize that the smoke
would irritate my eyes and throat.
Now, as an employee of the American Cancer Society I know that the exposure to that second
hand smoke put me at greater health risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Most of the people who smoked around me were nice normal people who simply failed to take
the risks of their habit seriously.
I am thrilled now that my last two jobs, the employers voluntarily set policies prohibiting
employees and customers from smoking around others. Yet my other employers failed to do so.
Picase don't leave protection from second hand smoke up to chance.
? Tt is easy for businesses to misunderstand the hoards of second hand smoke.
? It is also too easy for them. to ignore out of fear all the positive studies that show going
smoke free will not hurt their business.
? It is too cagy for them to be misled into thinking that smokers have more of a right to
smoke than their employees have the right to good health.
u It is also too eaey for them to say employees can just fmd another job. Not with our Big
island economy.
Please pans this legislation with the bars included.
Comm. No. ~ • "Z
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Ref. Uated