HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0942.025 2006-2008
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Murashige, Laura
From: Don Weisman [don.weisman@heart.org]
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 11:01 AM
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Please vote to support Bill 224. 20 FE B S AID 8 47
To: Hawai?i County Council C01A,
Re: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF BILL 224 COUN7i' " il- }-r.:VWJJ
Relating To Prohibition of Smoking In Certain Places Council hearing: February 5, 2008
February [date], 2008 My name is Don Weisman, Hawaii Communications and
Marketing/Government Affairs Director for the American Heart Association, and I strongly
support Bill 224, which would prohibit using tobacco products at all County of Hawai?i
parks and beaches.
I must commend the Council for addressing this important issue. As you already know,
smoking is hazardous to health. Because of this health risk the State enacted one of the
strongest secondhand smoking-law in the nation prohibiting smoking in virtually all
workplaces and in enclosed and partially enclosed public places. However, smoking is still
permitted in nearly all parks and beach parks within the State, and on the Big Island. Our
keiki continue to be endangered to the hazards of secondhand smoke.
ETS contains the same toxic substances as the smoke inhaled by smokers (mainstream smoke).
Of the more than 4,000 chemicals in ETS (including nicotine, formaldehyde, cyanide,
arsenic, carbon monoxide, methane, asbestos, ammonia and benzene), at least 40 are
considered carcinogens. Many of these toxins are actually found in higher concentrations
in ETS than they are in mainstream smoke. [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1992. ?
Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders.?]
The EPA has classified ETS as a Class A carcinogen (known human carcinogen) containing
asbestos and benzene.
[EPA, 1992]
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and death.
ETS exposure results in about 35,000 deaths from coronary heart disease
(CHD) among nonsmokers each year. [American Heart Association?s Council on Cardiopulmonary
and Critical Care, 1992; American Heart Association, ?Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics
? 2003 Update?]
ETS increases the risk of coronary events by about 300. [?Immediate Reduction in Acute
Myocardial Infarctions After the Implementation of a Comprehensive Smokefree Ordinance?,
Presented to the 52nd Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology,
March 30 ? April 2, 20031
Epidemiological evidence linking ETS to coronary heart disease, stroke and atherosclerotic
disease has been mounting since 1984. [Glantz and Pamley, 1991]
Nonsmokers absorb approximately to of the nicotine that active smokers absorb and
experience as much as 50% of an active smoker?s increased risk for heart disease. [Law et
al., 1997]
Inhaling ETS from just one cigarette actually increases the growth rate of plaque the
buildup of fatty substances on artery walls that leads to arterial hardening and
blockages. [Penn et al., 1994]
ETS increases the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol by 7% to 90.
[Feldman at al., 1991; Moskowitz et al., 1999; Mizoue et al., 1999]
Exposing a spouse to ETS from 20 cigarettes a day results in a 58% increased risk of heart
attack. [Rosenlund, 2001]
Exposure to ETS impairs cardiac performance, especially in heart attack survivors.
ETS exposure decreases time to exhaustion in aerobic activity and increases post-exercise
recovery time for everyone. [Leone et al., 1991; Glantz and Parmley, 1995]
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For heart attack survivors, exposure to ETS also results in a 33% decrease in peak
exercise power. [Leone et a1., 1991]
Five minutes of ETS exposure is equal to smoking one cigarette. Twenty minutes of ETS
exposure does as much damage as smoking a pack a day. Twenty minutes of ETS exposure
activates clot-forming platelets in non-smokers as much as smoking a pack a day would,
increasing the chances of a heart attack or stroke.
Thirty minutes of ETS exposure results in stiffened, clogged arteries. A half-hour of
breathing ETS stiffens non-smokers arteries as much as smoking a pack a day would. Thirty
minutes of breathing ETS also reduces the body?s ability to manage LDL cholesterol for
several hours after exposure. Two hours of ETS exposure produces a greater risk of
irregular heartbeat. Two hours of ETS exposure results in an increased heart rate as well
as increased chances of developing an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) which could be
fatal or could trigger a heart attack. [University of California, www.tobaccoscam.com]
It is for the reasons I?ve noted above that the American Heart Association strongly
encourages the Council to vote yes to pass Bill 224. Last year, Kahalu?u beach park in
Kona went smoke-free, let?s do the same for the rest of island. Passing Hill 224, will
make visiting all our parks and beaches more enjoyable.
Please accept this as written testimony in support of this bill.
Sincerely,
Donald B. Weisman
Hawaii Communications and Marketing/Government Affairs Director American Heart Association
Hawaii Government Affairs Director Don Weisman Hawaii Government Affairs Director
677 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 600
Honolulu, HI 96813
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