HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1091.055 2012-2014P /pw%
Murashige, Laura .
From: Don Weisman <Don.Weisman @heart.org>
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2014 4:29 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony in support of Bill 302
Attachments: Testimony in SUPPORT of Bill 302 Relating to Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Places
and the Use of Electronic Smoking Devices.docx
Aloha,
Attached please find the American Heart Association's testimony in strong support of Bill 302 scheduled for hearing by
the Hawaii County Council's Committee on Public Safety & Mass Transit on Oct. 14.
Don Weisman
Hawaii Government RelationsDirector /Communications and Marketing Director Hawaii and Alaska
American Heart Association
Western States Affiliate
Serving Hawaii
677 Ala Moana Blvd., Ste. 600
Honolulu, HI 96813
808 - 457 -4954
FAX: 808 -538 -3443
don. weismana�heart.org
Click on the link below to learn how to quickly identify the signs and symptoms of stroke, and appropriate
action to take.
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Ref. Date OCT 14 ZU14
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American American
Heart I Stroke
Association Association
life is why-
October 14, 2014
Testimony in SUPPORT of Bill 302
"Relating To Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Places and
the Use of Electronic Smoking Devices"
The American Heart Association strongly supports Bill 302, "Relating To Prohibition of
Smoking in Certain Places and the Use of Electronic Smoking Devices."
For decades, advocacy for tobacco control has been a priority of the American Heart
Association (AHA). In partnership with major public health organizations, the association
has made major strides in tobacco use prevention and cessation by prioritizing evidence -
based strategies such as increasing excise taxes; passing comprehensive smoke -free air
laws; facilitating US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco,
including comprehensive tobacco cessation treatment within healthcare plans; and
supporting adequate funding of comprehensive tobacco control programs in different
states. These tobacco control efforts have cut in half the youth smoking rate from 1997 to
2007 and have saved more than 8 million lives in the past 50 years.
Secondhand exposure to e- cigarette aerosol exposes a nonsmoker to nicotine,
particulates, and several potentially toxic organic chemicals, but at much lower levels
than from conventional cigarette smoke. The biological effects of such an exposure are
expected to be much less than that of secondhand smoke, but nonsmokers are exposed to
some nicotine, and the regular use of e- cigarettes has the potential to substantially
contaminate the environment with nicotine.
Moreover, unregulated e- cigarette use has the potential to recreate a social norm around
tobacco product use in public places, unraveling decades of work on comprehensive
smoke -free air laws. It is not always easy to identify that a person is using an e- cigarette,
because there is not the large plume of smoke or the strong detectable odor that comes
from conventional cigarettes. Therefore, the use of e- cigarettes creates enforcement
issues for employees in restaurants, bars, airport terminals, planes, and other smoke -free
public places. E- cigarette companies are marketing their products to be used in all the
places where smoking is banned, including bars, restaurants, hotels, offices, and
airplanes, which promotes unregulated use.
Although the AHA supports the inclusion of e- cigarettes in new smoke -free laws, the
AHA only supports changing existing smoke -free laws to include e- cigarettes when it can
be ensured there will be no amendments attached to the legislation that would weaken
existing laws.
"Building healthier fives,
free of cardiovascular life Is why- es por la vida-
diseases and stroke. " if et if
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American American
Heart ( Stroke
Association Association®
life is why-
Hawaii County Councilmembers are encouraged to support Bill 302 without substantial
amendment to help reduce the exposure of e- cigarette particulate - and nicotine -laced
aerosol by non - users, and to continue to denormalize sociatally nicotine addiction.
Donald B. Weisman
Hawaii Government Relations Director
Building heaithler lives,
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diseases and stroke. "
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