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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, February 1, 2005

Parks may be smoke free

By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Staff Writer

Public beaches and parks would be added to the growing list of places in Hawai'i where smoking is banned, under a bill being considered by the state Legislature.

Members of the House Health Committee yesterday heard support for House Bill 510 during its first hearing. The measure was deferred until Feb. 7, when the committee will take up a related bill that would ban smoking at airports and hospitals.

H.B. 510 also would prohibit smoking within 25 feet of public playgrounds and at other public play areas for children, including baseball diamonds, basketball, handball and tennis courts and picnic areas requiring permits for use.

The bill also proposes outlawing the disposal of cigarette butts in places where smoking is prohibited, except in designated disposal containers. Violators could be fined up to $250.

During yesterday's hearing, state Health Director Chiyome Leinaala Fukino said the measure would cut down on secondhand smoke exposure and help with the state's litter problem.

The International Coastal Management Survey of beach litter, known as "Get the Drift and Bag It," has documented that cigarette butts constitute the major source of litter found on Hawai'i's beaches, Fukino said.

Furthermore, cigarette filters do not biodegrade for many years and often end up in the ocean, where fish, turtles and other marine life can be harmed, she said.

William Balfour Jr., director of parks and recreation for the City and County of Honolulu, offered his support, saying cigarette butts not only create an unsightly blight but cost the city for their disposal. He said a contractor removes cigarette butts from the beaches, along with other rubbish.

Dr. Fred Holschuh, a member of the Hawai'i County Council, said he has seen the "devastating and agonizing" effects of tobacco use, including secondhand smoke, during 30 years as an emergency physician. "This measure ... shows children by example that it is not OK to smoke or expose others to your smoke," he said.

Deborah Zysman, director of the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawai'i, said in written testimony that although her organization agrees with the intent of the bill, there are other changes that must be addressed first. She urged lawmakers to focus on policy solutions designed to bring about a comprehensive change in tobacco control.

Zysman urged greater financing of tobacco prevention and control programs. The state also should require tobacco retailers to carry a permit, allowing for better monitoring to ensure they are not selling to minors and that they are selling legal, taxed products, she said.

Zysman urged lawmakers to increase the tobacco tax, saying an estimated 10 percent increase would decrease the number of youths who start smoking by 3 percent to 7 percent.

Reach Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.