HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1091.135 2012-2014Murashige, Laura
From: Laura Guluzzy <writerlsg@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2014 3:14 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony Bill 302 in favor
Attachments: Laura Guluzzy Hawaii County Full Council Statement in Favor of Bill 302 Dec 15
2014.docx
Please find the attached testimony in favor of Bill 302.
www.sagewiselaura.com
"I Shall Pass Through This World But Once, Any Goodness That I Can Do, Or Any Kindness That I Can Shoiv
To Any Human Being, Let Me Do It Now, Let Me Not Defer Or Neglect It, For I Shall Not Pass This Way
Again. " Gandhi... and others.
1
Comm*No,
•�3_.
Ref. 'To: _
Ref. Date nFr 1 7 7014
Kindest regards with warmest Aloha,
cn
Laura
"L7
Laura Guluzzy, M.A. Gerontologist
Consultant/Caregiver Author
! %�
Office: (808) 326-2100
Cell: (650) 242-6000
Email: writerlsg,a,gmail.com
www.sagewiselaura.com
"I Shall Pass Through This World But Once, Any Goodness That I Can Do, Or Any Kindness That I Can Shoiv
To Any Human Being, Let Me Do It Now, Let Me Not Defer Or Neglect It, For I Shall Not Pass This Way
Again. " Gandhi... and others.
1
Comm*No,
•�3_.
Ref. 'To: _
Ref. Date nFr 1 7 7014
Laura Guluzzy, M.A. Gerontologist
Consultant/Caregiver Author
P.O. Box 1222, Kailua-Kona, H/ 96745
Residence: 75-202 Malulani Drive, Kailua-Kona, Hl 96740
Email: writerisq@gmad.com Website: www.sagewiselaura.com
Office: 808-326-2100 Cell: 650-242-6000 Home: 808-327-2100
December 15, 2014
Honorable Chair Kanuha, Hawaii County Council Members, Members of the Public, and Staff
Statement Supporting Bill 302: 1 am not a lobbyist. I agree and help the Smoke -Free Hawaii Coalition in
the pursuit to pass Bill 302. Here's why: I have a master's degree in gerontology. That is a specialist in
matters pertaining to aging. We gerontologists believe that the first person to live to 140, is 62 today,
and we want to keep our population healthy, so it stays that way.
My mother became a quadriplegic after she stroked from smoking cigarettes. She used to blink once for
yes, and twice for no. She laid in bed and ate food through a feeding tube until she died over 2 % years
later. My first husband was an addict who started by smoking marijuana out of a bong, similar to a
Hooka, then escalated to heroin. He died from complications due to drug and alcohol abuse. This year, I
had a full -on asthma attack from accidentally inhaling someone's ECig exhale after not having to use an
inhaler in over a year. Now, we in America are nearly a non-smoking society based on intellectual
decisions made not to smoke based on unhealthy findings from years of empirical data.
Many ECig, vaporizer, and Hookah manufacturers are backed by Tobacco Company's diversifying their
business to make up for the revenue losses of educated Americans not purchasing their tobacco
products. Like cigarettes, these products contain liquid nicotine and other foreign matter that should
not be ingested into the lungs. They are not regulated. Even Dr. Oz came out this week saying that he
would not want ANY of his friends or family to use these products; NOT safe. More studies by unbiased
entities are coming out every day about their dangers. The public should be cheering about the county
trying to insure public safety by considering including all of these under the Non -Smoking legal statutes.
After I testified last time in Favor of Bill 302, 1 listened as others testified against it. When another
person testified in favor of it, I caught myself nodding in agreement and as I did, there was a hard kick
on the back of my chair from one of the men sitting behind me. I was stunned as I realized this man was
trying to intimidate my free speech for wanting to protect his very health. There was testimony the law
might impact freedom or finances, that was a reason given to disagree with the Bill. All should know that
one fall from frailty brought on by cancer and illness due to unhealthful acts can result in an average of
93K in billing charges at an ER, THAT is money! Hawaii State spends 58 million+ annually just on falls.
ECig products also create a new battle against public waste when they show up as garbage in our parks,
beaches, neighborhoods, and landfills. Even a thimbleful of liquid nicotine from one of them can kill a
child, when ingested. The public liability issues this generates are limitless. For the sake of public safety,
we do not want to be known as the County that approved 2nd -hand aerosol damaging health and even
taking lives. There is NO question that we need to protect our family, friends, neighbors, and park goer's
from 2"dhand smoke and aerosol inhalants that WILL jeopardize our health, including the possibility of
escalating to illegal drugs and/or new cancers/diseases. Respectfully, you, Council Members are TOO
smart to approve a substance that does harm others. Please vote in favor of Bill 302. Mahalo for taking
the best course of action for our health, safety, longevity and quality of life.
Respectfully submitted, Laura Guluzzy