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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1091.157 2012-2014To: The Honorable Dru Mamo Kanuha, Chair, Hawai'i County Council And the Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Council From: Shelly Ogata, RN, MPH, CTFH East Hawaii Community Coalition member 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 Q. Dear Honorable Hawaii County Council Chair and Members, Thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony in strong support of HC Bill No. 302, which - regulates electronic smoking devices (ESDs). I support including Electronic Smoking Devices (ESD) in Hawaii County smoking laws which will provide for further consistency and protections of our residents and visitors. Hawaii County (HC) Bill 302 adds and amends important definitions of the law, which are critical to allowing consistency among all of Hawaii County's smoking laws. Confusion of smoking prohibitions results without such definitions in place. ESDs do not emit harmless water vapor, but emit an aerosol that contains nicotine, ultra -fine particles, volatile organic compounds, and other toxins such as Acetaldehyde, Benzene, Cadmiun, Formaldehyde, Isoprene, Lead, Nickel, N-Nitrosonornicotine, Toluene t Restricting ESD use is a growing trend across the U.S. due to the increasing amount of information on the harmful components within and being emitted by ESDs. At least 110 U.S. counties restrict the use of ESDs, including New York City, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and San Diego. Most ESD policies include restricting them indoors as well as outdoor areas to protect people from smoke and aerosol. Emerging research shows dual use where cigarette users switch to ESDs in locations they are not permitted to smoke.2 Allowing the use of ESDs in locations where smoking is prohibited is problematic as ESD use puts innocent bystanders around the ESD user who breathe ESD aerosol at risk for illness, creates distractions in the workplace, threatens the social norm, and undercuts years of progress by tobacco control groups. In addition, additives/lacing of the ESDs with illegal substances is difficult to monitor. Are you willing to risk exposing your children or grandparents to unknown emmissions? Manufacturers and retailers acknowledge that ESDs contain nicotine, are addictive and habit- forming, are intended for committed smokers, and should not be used by women who are pregnant or persons with an elevated risk of any medical condition, including, but not limited to, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or asthma.3 According to Americans for t Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, "Electronic (e-) Cigarettes and Secondhand Aerosol", available at http://no- sme/pdf/eci garette-secondhand-aeroso1.pdf. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Notes from the field: electronic cigarette use among middle and high school students -- United States, 2011-2012. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013;62:729-730. Available at http://www.cdc.vov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6235a6.htm?s cid=mm6235a6 w 3 http://www.ejuiceusa.com/warnin<,s --- read-me.php; www.vapedudes.com/; http://www.vaportokers.com littp://www.vir>>�,•nvapor.com/;http://www.volcanoecilzs.com/about-us /A _,7 Nonsmokers' Rights, "ESDs are not a proven smoking cessation device; they are an alternative nicotine delivery device that will maintain or restore the habit, and can hook a new generation addicted to nicotine."4 The 2013 Youth Tobacco Survey revealed lifetime E -Cigarette use (ever tried) quadrupled among middle school students and tripled among high school students from 2011 to 2013. As reported on 12/10/14, Hawaii high school students have increased their use of e-cigs from 5.1% in 2011, to 17.6% in 2013. Middle School students have increased their use of trying an a-cig from a mere 1.8%, to 7.9% in the same two year period. We do not want to see this trend continue or increase and prohibiting the use of ESD's in areas where tobacco or smoking is prohibited in Hawaii County will help de -normalize the behavior of using ESDs. In closing, this is not about a person or a business. This is about Public Health. This is about people with disabilities having equal access to public areas and services in our community. Mahalo for your support in passing Bill 302 as we continue to make Hawaii Island one of the healthiest places to live. Respectfully, SLS. Ojai Shelly Ogata, RN, MPH CTFH-East Hawaii Community Coalition member 4 Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, "Electronic Smoking Devices (ESDs) and Smokefree Laws", available at www.no-smoke.org/ecigs.html.