HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0942.105 2006-2008
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Murashige, Laura
From: MelliGenatt@aol.com
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2008 1:50 PM
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Cc: dyagong@co.hawaii.hi.us; jyoshimoto@co.hawaii.hi.us; bford@co.hawaii.hi.us;
kapilago@co.hawaii.hi.us; dikeda@co.hawaii.hi.us; shiga@co.hawaii.hi.us;
enaeole@co.hawaii.hi.us; jjaco@co.hawaii.hi.us; phoffmann@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Bill 224 testimony
Attachments: Britni Doctor.doc
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Ref. To.
Ref. Date-une
3/10/2008
DATE: March 10, 2008
TO: Council Chairman Pete Hoffmann & Council Members
Hawaii County Council
FR: Britni Doctor, REAL member
RE: WRITTEN TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF BILL 224 (in its current form)
Relating To Smoking in Certain Places in the County of Hawaii
Second Reading, Public Hearing on Wednesday, March 12, 2008
I am a high school student at Pahoa High, and a member of REAL. REAL is a statewide
youth led movement against the tobacco industry. We fight back in telling the tobacco
industry to stop targeting us; youth. I strongly support Bill 224 and commend the County
Council for moving this visionary measure forward in its current form. I want Hawaii
County to be a clean and healthy place for my family and I to enjoy. Bill 224 will protect
my right to breathe clean air at all County of Hawaii parks, beaches and recreational
facilities.
This measure will also reduce toxic litter, and send the message that tobacco use is not the
norm in our community, so we stop sending keiki mixed messages about tobacco use.
Children and families deserve clean, healthy places to enjoy outdoor activities.
A lot of people leave their cigarette rubbish all over the place. My little nephew, and nieces
are either stepping on the filth or trying to put it in their mouth. Also they try to imitate
others like if they were smoking. We try to educate them on the negative effects and what
smoking does, but if they see others doing it; they gain confusion.
Despite progress made in successfully legislating indoor tobacco smoke in workplaces, our
keiki continue to be exposed to the hazards of second-hand smoke in public places. Second-
hand smoke is a Class-A carcinogen - same as asbestos - there are no safe levels of
exposure.
Visiting our parks, beaches and recreational facilities should be a pleasurable and safe
experience for all. Discarded cigarettes and cigar butts at our parks and beaches are
unsightly, unclean and particularly hazardous to small children and wildlife. A child putting a
toxic cigarette butt into their mouth should not be part of that experience. Cigarettes and
their packaging is number one litter item on our island. Cigarette butts are composed of
cellulose acetate, a form of plastic, which is estimated to take up to 25 years to decompose
on land and in the sand. It takes a cigarette butt 5 years to decompose in the ocean.
Cigarette butts can pose a deadly threat to wildlife. Indigestible cigarette filters have been
found in the stomachs of sea turtles, fish, birds, whales and other marine creatures who
mistake them for food, swallowing harmful plastic and toxic chemicals.
Last year, Kahalu'u Beach Park in Kona went smoke-free let's do the same for the rest of the
island. Passing Bill 224 will make visiting all County parks and beaches a more pleasurable
experience.
It is the responsibility of government to protect the public's health, including while enjoying
HawaiTs parks and beaches. Clean airis myright, and it must be protected. Pass Bill
224 in its current form.
In conclusion, I believe that everyone deserves the right of breathing clean air, we need it to
survive. I believe that we need to show the children of Hawaii that we do practice what we
preach and smoking is not cool, or acceptable. We need to protect our environment so it is
not constantly damaged by these toxins.
Please accept this as written testimony in support of this bill.
Sincerely,
Britni Doctor
13-3474 Pomaikai St.
Pahoa HI 96778