HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0013.304 2002-2004 REC'° i`~~'LL7
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coon w~~ To: Council JrArti9.U11LVkrakaklsnd Councllnwmbsrs
""~'~'~"""t•019 ftawal'i County Council
rcnw Fax: (808) 981.8972
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~eoe)z.~a.aue From: Debbie Odo, Director otTobacoo Control
Pd,,"0"0.,,~„ Amercan Lunq Aesoclatton of Hawaii
Fax: (808) 537.6971
www~aa,~ ~a RE: WRITTEN TESTIMONY FOR THE INTENT OF BILL 250:
FeccaAy~42.604t RELATING TO SMOKING IN CQRTAIN PLACES IN THE
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~'+WOam•aan COUNTY OF HAWAI'1
e~i Wednesday, July 29, 2003
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~0• ~ X20 My name is Debbie Odo and I am the Diroctor ot, Tobacco Control from
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~,~a the America3n Lung Aaaoc~atlon of Hawaii. Thank you for elk~wing me
"'"°'O0''d•001" to submR tostimony on the intent of BIII 280, Draft 8 with the
amendment to not exempt bars.
w.aw:
The American Lung Association of Hawaii belkves all workers and
patrons should be protected from environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).
By providing protection for all workplaces, such as ban, restaurants,
bowling alleys; and nightclubs, the council would ba providing a
amokefree workplace for ALL workers and a level playing Reid far ALL
businesses. Exemptions cause confusion and Croats uniaimess.
For years, doctors, nurses, bankero, lawyers, flight attendants, store
clerks, polwclans, and others hevo had a smokefroe workplace. Now
everyone else should be sntitled to the same chars air M you Include
bens. No one should be excluded. Everyone should have the freedom
to breathe clean air.
There is a result of the mounting evidence of 0,e dangers of
secondhand smoke and the rising pressuro from nonsmokers. There
has been a dramatic increase in the creation of smokefree
environments in places of employment (or workplaces) and public
pieces over the last two deadss. Smokefree environments are
generally established either through legislation or voluntary policies.
When You Can't They are also sometimes mandated by adminlatrative or court decrees
based on federal civil rights laws.
~~I~ Elsa California was the first state to enact smokefree workplace bgislatlon,
and it Is the only state whose law has been in effect long enough to
have meaningful Saba tax data. Other amokefroe state laws have
F..,~a ~ ~ been in effect less than a year, and k usually takes about two yeare
,.t cow. No. X3'30
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before sales tax data is available, Tobacco Interests know that they
can make unsubatantiatad claims about loaf rovenue until sales tax
data is available. Then the truth Is known.
In Celltomla, which eliminated tobacco smoke in restaurants in 1995
and bare in 1998, those Industries have continued to grow according to
state statistics. ey the end of 2001, rovenusa from restaurants and
bars in California had jumped to $36.8 billion, up form $26,b billion in
1995, according to the California flecal agency which tracks taxable
transactions. Also at the end of. the flue-year period, more restaurants
and bars were operating in Callfomie than betoro smokefrse laws-140
more bars existed in 2001 than in 1997, right before the smokefree law
took effect for bars and taverns.
The American Lung Association of Hawaii sees the benefits of the
intent of Bill 260, Draft 8 with the amendment not to exempt bars.
Fortunatsl'y, all poor-reviewed studies using sales tax data have shown
that smokefree workplace leglelatfon is good Tor business. The vast
majority of people, smokers included, profer to breathe clean air than
smoky air.
Again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify on the Intent of
Bill 260, Draft 8 with the amendment to not exempt bars.
Sin~car~aly,
Debbie Odo
Director of Tobacco Control
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