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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0972.002 2004-2006 Page 1 of 1 Murashige, Laura From: Donna Goodale [donna@goodale.org] Sent: Monday, July 17, 2006 9:28 PM To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us Dais JUL 18 Cc: Bevanmarquez, Jean; 'Marni Herkes'; Sara Peck Subject: attitional testimony for the smoking ban t +,CJiJ':'d f To Whom It May Concern: I am attaching 3 more testimonials for the committee hearing tomorrow for the ban on smoking at Kahalu'u Beach. 1.Nath aniel Goodale, age 13 2.Mack enzie Buckner, age 13 3.Donn aR.Goodale -adult Thank you for your help in getting these to the committee members before the meeting. Donna Goodaee Comm. No. q 2 • Z Ref. T- Ref. Dater 7/18/2006 Nathaniel Goodale July 16, 2006 Age: 13; going into 8a' grade 73-4503 Kohanaiki Rd. Kailua-Kona HI 96740 NathanielC ,Qoodale.org Reasons for Banning Smoking at Kahalu'u Beach Park I think that smoking should be banned at Kahalu'u because it may negatively affect the tourism industry since most of the population in the U.S. doesn't smoke. For most of the nation, smoking is an annoyance and a health problem to the people in the area of the smoke. This is known as second hand smoke and can lead to lung cancer or other illnesses. Most of this state's revenue comes from tourism. Four out of five Americans do not smoke so they would probably not want to sit next to a smoker on the beach. There are 4.5 trillion cigarettes littered each year world wide. That's not a million, or billion, but 4.5 trillion! That is a lot of cigarette butts. In 30 minutes, a group of students from my school picked up over 1200 cigarette butts at Kahalu'u Beach Park! I also think smoking should be banned at Kahalu'u because many smokers, but not all, drop the cigarette buts in the sand because they are too lazy to throw it in the trash. What if a two-year-old child found that cigarette butt in the sand and swallowed it. What would happen? If it was still hot, the child could burn him or herself. The child could swallow it and choke or possibly get sick. At the very worst, the child could possibly die. The child could experience any thing in-between getting sick and dying. How would you feel if this happened and you had the power to stop it before it happened? Each year the poison control center receives thousands of calls about children ingesting tobacco products. Mackenzie Rose Buckner July 17, 2006 Age: 13 Grade: Going into 8 s P.O. Box 392 Holualoa, HI 96725 Phone # Cell: (808) 443-7875 Home: (808) 322-4171 Email: kuuleilokel12@hotmail.com My name is Mackenzie Buckner of Kailua-Kona, HI and I fully support the banning of the use of tobacco products at/in Kahalu'u Beach Park. I have lived in Kona all of my life and I like to go down to Kahalu'u Beach Park for snorkeling, surfing, and picnics and such. I can see why it is a hot spot for tourists. But, whenever I go, no matter what time of day, I always step on and/or see cigarette filters lying on the sand. Sometimes I am even unfortunate enough to be around a smoker, who is usually unaware of the hazard he/she is causing to people around him/her and the damage they are causing to the ocean and its dwellers. It takes an average of 7 years for cigarettes to degrade with a range from 1.5 years - 15 years. During those 7 years, while the filter is degrading, the waves are washing the filters into the ocean. While in the water, it gets soaked and all of the nasty chemicals come out, such as arsenic, lead, chromium and formaldehyde. Those chemicals are toxic to fish, crustaceans, zooplankton, marine mammals, and much more, including the reefs. In all, I wish that the use of all tobacco products should be banned from Kahalu'u Beach Park. I wish that because second hand smoke is almost as bad as smoking a cigarette yourself and it is disgusting to be around a smoker while at the beach. I would also like to add that, like I said, it hurts ocean dwelling animals and land animals, such as crabs, alike. Thank you for reading this have a nice day. Donna Rodes Goodale 73-4503 Kohanaiki Rd. Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 808-325-1472 donnaggoodale.org July 17, 2006 Dear County Council: My name is Donna R. Goodale. I have lived on the Big Island of Hawai'i for 22 years. I am both a marine biologist, with a Masters degree in zoology, and a science teacher. I have taught high school in both Hilo and Kona, worked as a biologist in commercial aquaculture at NELHA for over 11 years and have taught middle school for the past 7 years at Hualalai Academy. I am a member of the West Hawai'i Fisheries Council and I have worked for the last year and a half with a group of students helping them become involved in marine related issues. The students of the West Hawai'i Youth Fisheries Council decided to take on a project that would make a difference to both the coastal environment and their community. They chose to examine the problems caused by cigarette butts to the environment and to a beach in their area. Through their discussions and research, they decided that a ban on smoking at Kahalu'u Beach Park would be in the best interest of both the near shore marine environment and the majority of people who use the beach. Smoking has already been banned on public beaches in several areas of the country. Smoking was banned on Solana Beach, California in 2003 through the work of some high school students and more beaches in California are following suit. Smoking was banned at Hanama Bay in Oahu because the litter was deemed to be harmful to the marine life which is instrumental in drawing tourists to Hawai'i. I agree whole heartedly with the students for all the reasons that they site in their testimony: 1. Cigarette butts contain toxins that are harmful to marine organisms such as fish, crustaceans, zooplankton, echinoderms, nematodes and flatworms. 2. Cigarette butts take 1.5-15 years to deteriorate, in the mean time they are unsightly, leach toxins into the surrounding water and sand, and pose choking hazards to both marine life and small humans 3. Cigarette butts make up from 20% to 60% of the litter on beaches; in 2001, they composed 33% of the litter picked up during the annual Get-the-drift-and-bag-it beach-clean-up day on Oahu 4. Second-hand smoke is a health hazard to those who do not smoke (4 out of 5 Americans don't smoke) 5. Smoking has negative economic affects due to: a. the cost of private and public manpower and resources that are invested each year in picking up the litter b. lost revenue from lost tourists who go else where due to an unsightly environment c. lost revenue due to fire damage when a fire is started from a butt A smoking ban at this popular beach would help to clean up the area for those who use the beach, as well as make it a more pleasant and healthy place to be. A smoking ban would also reduce the toxins and debris that the marine organisms are exposed to in the near shore area. In addition, a smoking ban at Kahalu'u Beach would increase the value of this beach as a tourist draw for the majority of visitors. I urge you to adopt a ban on smoking at Kahalu'u Beach Park. Sincerely, Donna Rodes Goodale