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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1091.114 2012-2014Murashige, Laura From: Kathy <ekakioka@lava.net> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2014 12:45 PM To: Council Testimony Subject: Strong Support for HC Bill 302, Relating to Electronic Smoking Devices_ To: The Honorable Dru Mamo Kanuha, Chair, Hawaii County Council ry zg I� And the Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Council From: Kathyrn Akioka, Registered Respiratory Therapist, Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist Date: December 15, 2014 Hrg: Hawai'i County Council Meeting -Final at 9:15 am.in West Hawaii Civic Center- Council Chambers Re: Strong Support for HC Bill 302, Relating to Electronic Smoking Devices Dear Honorable County Council Chair and County Council Members, I am a a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist and Registered Respiratory Therapist. I have spent over 40 years helping people to stop their use of Tobacco products. Nicotine is the hardest addiction to overcome and in most cases takes at least 10 to 15 attempts before someone is successful in quitting smoking. Electronic Smoking Devises looked like they might be a good option to help the smoker quit smoking, however this has not proven to be true. I have not had any of my patients stop smoking by using the Electronic Smoking Devises. Usually, they end up back to smoking cigarettes or they dual use both the Electronic Smoking Devise and smoke cigarettes. We have other scientifically proven options for helping smokers stop smoking which do not have the health risks of Electronic Smoking L 1 COMM-Wel- IOq 1' 114 Ref. To: Ref. Date 20t Devises. The amount of nicotine in the "e juice" is unregulated and varies from manufacturer, unlike proven nicotine replacement therapy e.g. nicotine patches, nicotine gum, nicotine lozenges, nicotine inhalers and nicotine nasal sprays. Most users who try to quit using the Electronic Smoking Devises may unknowingly increase the amount of nicotine they are getting making their nicotine addiction worse. Meaning that when they go back to tobacco products they smoke more than they did before. This a special challenge for me when trying to decrease the nicotine a patient uses as they step down their nicotine use toward quitting completely. It is hared to determine just how much nicotine they are getting and then be able to develop a workable quit plan. As a Respiratory Therapist, I deal with aerosol medications for treating medical conditions and have therefore studies how aerosol particles effect the lungs. The "vapor" from an Electronic Smoking Devise is not "harmless" water vapor. They emit an aerosol that contains nicotine, ultra -fine particles, volatile organic compounds, and other toxins such as Acetaldehyde, Benzene, Cadmium, Formaldehyde, Iosprene, Lead, Nickel, N-Nitrosonornicotine, Toluene. [1] Many of my patients make their own "nicotine juice" using organic vegetable oil. Inhaling these types of particles leads to lung disease and cancer. Exposing non-users to these types of particles puts their health at risk. The nicotine particles could lead to nicotine addiction in non-users from the second hand "vapor". As a Tobacco Treatment Specialist, I have also heard from patients and youth who use the refillable cartridges to not only refill with "e juice" but they add other substances to the cartridges. Illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and other herbs are added. I personally do not want to be walking into "vapor" that could also contain illegal drugs thus exposing me to these harmful substances. I personally am an asthmatic. I have inadvertently been exposed to the "vapor" from other peoples Electronic Smoking Devises both indoors and out of doors. Each time, I have had flare ups of my asthma involving coughing and wheezing resulting in my needing to take my asthma medications. If it has this effect on me, I am sure it has effects on other non-smokers who are exposed to the "vapor" from these devices. I really do not want to have to be concerned about being exposed to this type of aerosol in restaurants, theaters, beaches, parks and other out door areas that could possibly lead to my asthma flaring up and possibly leading to a trip to the Emergency Room. Cigarette smoke can cause my asthma to flare up, but not like the "vapor" from the Electronic Smoking Devises which is heavier and more concentrated leading to worse problems than regular cigarette smoke for my asthma. On the mainland, restricting the use of Electronic Smoking Devises has been done in 110 counties including New York, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and San Diego. The Big Island of Hawaii as been a leader in promoting and maintaining clean air and it only makes sense that we should continue to be a leader in protecting the clean air of non-users. I strongly support Bill 302 and encourage you to pass this bill. Respectfully, Kathyrn Akioka Kathyrn Akioka, RRT, TTS Hamakua-Kohala Health Tobacco Treatment Specialist (808) 937-9979 cell (808)930-2758 work [ 1 ] Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, "Electronic (e-) Cigarettes and Secondhand Aerosol", available at http•//no-smoke or,//pdf/eci_garette-secondhand-aerosol.gdf *Please Note: The information contained in this message may be privileged and confidential, protected from disclosure, and intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. 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