STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1823

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.C.R. No. 99

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 99 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DESIGNATION OF ALL OF HAWAII'S AIRPORTS AS SMOKE-FREE AREAS FROM AIRPLANE CABIN TO AIRPORT CURB,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Governor and the Director of Transportation to designate Hawaii's airports as completely smoke-free areas.

The American Cancer Society and the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawai'i submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Transportation submitted testimony in opposition. The American Lung Association of Hawaii submitted comments.

Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in the nation. It is estimated that secondhand smoke exposure causes approximately thirty-eight thousand deaths among nonsmokers each year in the United States. Tobacco smoke contains more than fifty compounds known to be carcinogens. Among the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure is an increased risk of heart disease, respiratory disease, lung cancer, and cervical cancer.

Yet, while over sixty percent of smaller American airports reported being completely smoke-free in 2002, larger airports that service more passengers and employ more people, such as Honolulu International Airport, are not. This measure requests the Governor and the Director of Transportation to designate Hawaii's airports as completely smoke-free from "airplane cabin to airport curb" with appropriate "No Smoking" signs and public service announcements in the State's airports.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 99, and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair