HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0942.114 2006-2008
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Murashige, Laura
From: Juan Moncada [moncadaj001@hawaii.rr.comj
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 11:40 AM
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Cc: dyagong@co.hawaii.hi.us; dikeda@co.hawaii.hi.us; jyoshimoto@co.hawaii.hi.us;
shiga@co.hawaii.hi.us; enaeole@co.hawaii.hi.us; haco@co.hawaii.hi.us,
bford@co.hawaii.hi.us; kapilago@co.hawaii.hi.us; phoffmann@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Letter of Support for Bill 224 Second Reading
Attachments: Support testimony Bil[224.doc
Please accept the attached letter of support for Bill 224 as written.
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3/11/2008
March 11, 2008
TO: Council Chairman Pete Hoffmann & Council Members
Hawaii County Council
FR: Erin Moncada, Tobacco-Free Big Island Coalition Member
RE: WRITTEN TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF BILL 224,
Relating To Smoking in Certain Places in the County of Hawaii
Second Reading, Public Hearing on Wednesday, March 12, 2008
My name is Erin Moncada, and as a member of the Tobacco-Free Big Island Coalition, I
commend the Hawaii County Council for its visionary support of Bill 224, which would
make all County of Hawaii parks and beaches smoke-free, reduce toxic litter, and send
the message that tobacco use is not the social norm in our community.
I am a resident of Hawaii Island, and I am a survivor of breast cancer who lost her
mother to breast cancer and her "second parents" - stepfather and stepmother - to lung
cancer. When I visit our parks and beaches with my family, I have strong personal and
professional reasons to appreciate and support smoke-free environments.
The incidence of cancer in Hawaii, and deaths from cancer in Hawaii, are highest
among Native Hawaiians, Filipinos and Hispanics. Lung cancer, caused primarily by
smoking, leads to more deaths each year in Hawai'i than do breast, prostate and colon
cancer combined. Of special note is the disproportionate cancer burden borne by
Hawaiian males, whose mortality rates from lung cancer are significantly higher than
males or females of other ethnic groups.
Simply not smoking tobacco reduces a person's risk of cancer by one-third. When adults
do not smoke in places frequented by children, such as beaches and parks, it serves as a
powerful reminder that smoking is not "adult behavior" to emulate. Rather, children see
that smoking is not associated with healthy outdoor activities or love of the aina.
By passing Bill 224, the Hawaii County Council demonstrates our deep aloha for our
keiki. Bill 224 will effectively provide a clean and healthy environment for Hawai'i's
keiki, ohana, visitors and wildlife, making visiting all County parks and beaches a more
enjoyable experience. Please accept this as written testimony in support of this bill.
Sincerely,
Erin Moncada
200 Kanoelehua Ave. #228
333-5829