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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, August 24, 2002

Tougher smoking bill likely on Kaua'i

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau

LIHU'E, Kaua'i — The County Council is expected to strengthen a bill that would limit smoking in Kaua'i restaurants and other public places, after many speakers at a recent hearing called for tougher anti-smoking legislation.

The present bill, introduced by Councilman Jimmy Tokioka, who is a restaurant owner, would prohibit smoking in county-owned buildings where 10 or more people are gathered, except in designated smoking rooms, restrooms and unenclosed areas.

The bill would ban smoking in elevators, medical waiting rooms, theaters, schools, hotels except in individual guest rooms, and restaurants and bars, with certain allowances. The bill would allow smoking in separate open-air areas of restaurants if signs are posted and in other areas if the restaurant prominently posts signs saying smoking is allowed there.

An enclosed bar portion of a restaurant also can be a smoking area.

There are exemptions for small businesses and retail stores with floor space less than 5,000 square feet.

The bill met with no opposition at a council public hearing Aug. 8. Many speakers called for a tougher bill, including representatives of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai'i.

The coalition's Clifford Chang, citing the hazards of secondhand smoke, asked the council to remove exemptions for some restaurant and bar areas and for smaller businesses.

"All workers deserve protection in small or large restaurants. ... We don't see ... why smaller businesses or workers in smaller businesses should not be protected," Chang said.

Tokioka said he expects the Kaua'i County Council's Finance and Intergovernmental Relations Committee to strengthen the bill at its Sept. 5 meeting, possibly banning all restaurant smoking and extending the smoking prohibition to small stores except for family-run operations.