HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0942.010 2006-2008
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/o=County of Hawaii/ou=lhd-domain/cn=Recipients/cn=LMURASHIGE
From: George Massengale [honolulujd@yahoo.com)
Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2008 1:33 PM
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Testimony, Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii (Bill 224)
Attachments: Big Island Testimony_Deborah[final).doc; Smoke-Free Beaches Map_So.CA.pdf
Attached, please find our testimony (with one PDF attachment) in support of Bill 224.
Mahalo
Deborah
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Ref. To:
Ref. Date FEB
2/4/2008
COALITION FOR A
V TOBACCO -FREE HAWAII
Date: February 4, 2008
To: Hawaii County Council, Committee on Public Safety and Parks and Recreation. Donald Ikeda,
Chair & J Yoshimoto, Vice Chair
Hearing Date & Time- February 5,2008,9:30 A.M.
Referral: Communication 942 (Bill 224)
Testimony in Strong Support
Good morning Chair Ikeda, Vice Chair Yoshimoto, and members of the Committee on Public Safety
and Parks and Recreation. My name is Deborah Zysman, I am the Executive Director of the Coalition
for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii. The Coalition is a statewide association of non-profit organizations,
businesses, and 2,000 individuals committed to working together to reduce the negative impact of
tobacco on the health of Hawaii's children, adults, and visitors. Many of our members live, work, and
raise families on the Big Island.
I am here today to offer testimony in support of the proposed ordinance that would prohibit smoking
on all parks, beaches, playgrounds, and recreation facilities in Hawaii County. Two years ago, the
Coalition along with many partner organizations undertook a campaign to make all workplaces and
public places free from the hazards of secondhand smoke. Last year we supported the effort to make
Kahalu'u Beach Park in Kailua-Kona smoke-free, thus enhancing the beaches appeal to families,
children and visitors.
The Hawai'i County Council is to be commended for taking the first-steps to make the big island's
outdoor facilities smoke-free. In doing so it joins the 615 municipalities in the United States have
prohibited smoking in public outdoor places including parks and beaches. The greatest
concentration of smoke-free parks & beaches is the 60 mile area in Southern California from Malibu
in the north of Los Angeles County to San Clemente in south Orange County. (map attached). Three
countries, Australia, Japan, and Spain have begun to designate certain popular beaches as smoke-free.
1500 S. Beretania Street, Ste. 309 • Honolulu, HI 96826 • (808) 946-6851 phone • (808) 946-6197 fax
COALITION FOR A
(l~`V TOBACCO-FREE HAWAII
The benefits of having smoke-free outdoor facilities are many and there are no disadvantages. From
a health perspective, many people suffer from various types of lung diseases, even a waft of
secondhand cigarette smoke can trigger an asthma attack or exacerbate emphysema. Because
of this many individuals are excluded from using big island parks or visiting beaches where there is
smoking.
I would also point out that there is a growing body of evidence that dispels the common
misconception that smoking outdoors can be ignored because smoke plumes immediately dissipate
into the environment; "Measurement of Outdoor Air Pollution From Secondhand Smoke of the
UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore Catonsville) Campus, June 1, 2005. " One of the
conclusions this study offered was that individuals who were downwind from a group of people
smoking outside could be exposed to concentration of secondhand smoke similar to that found
indoors.
The Coalition also acknowledges that the litter caused by smoking is not only unsightly but can also
have a negative and costly impact on the environment. According to the Ocean Conservancy,
cigarette butt litter accounts for one in every five items collected during cleanups, making it the most
prevalent form of litter on earth. Finally, cigarette butts are frequently ingested by seabirds, small
mammals, and children, as well.
I would also like to comment on an intended long term benefit that this ordinance would have on our
"kamah'i". From social research, we know that children perceive what is acceptable and what they
ought to do from what they understand is a normative behavior in a community. Creating smoke-free
playgrounds, parks, and beaches will eventually become a norm expectation by children and others
who use these facilities.
The proposed ordinance, Bill 224, is an excellent measure that enhances our Smoke-Free Law. It will
also create an expectation that our public outdoor recreation facilities should be smoke-free. The less
children see people smoking, the less likely they will be inclined to smoke. This bill will also
improve our shore environments, protect our native wildlife, and reduce litter clean-up cost.
1500 S. Beretania Street, Ste. 309 • Honolulu, HI 96826 • (808) 946-6851 phone • (808) 946-6197 fax
COALITION FOR A
TOBACCO -FREE HAWAII
Mahalo, for allowing me to testify before you here today.
Sincerely,
DANr_ M_~
Deborah Zysman, MPH
Executive Director
1500 S. Beretania Street, Ste. 309 • Honolulu, HI 96826 • (808) 946-6851 phone • (808) 946-6197 fax
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