Smoking ban at beaches clears hurdle

A bill to ban smoking at five of the island’s most popular beach parks got a favorable nod Tuesday from a key City Council committee.

The Safety, Economic Development and Government Affairs Committee voted 4-1 to advance Bill 72. Councilman Tom Berg cast the "no" vote.

The bill, introduced by Councilman Stanley Chang, would ban lighting up at Kapiolani Park and its surrounding areas, Kuhio Beach Park, Duke Kahanamoku Beach Park, the beach portion of Ala Moana Park and Sandy Beach Park.

The Council will hold a public hearing on the measure Dec. 5.

Chang said he introduced the measure in response to complaints from constituents about cigarette litter and secondhand smoke.

"Cigarette butt litter is by far the No. 1 source of litter on our streets, our beaches, in our parks, our public places," he said.

Longtime Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve manager Alan Hong told committee members that from 2003, when a smoking ban was instituted at the bay, until his retirement last year, he received only two complaints from tourists unhappy with the rule. During the same period, he received numerous compliments from those who appreciate a smoke-free beach, he said.

Approving the ban "would send a strong signal and help enhance Hawaii’s appeal as a tourist destination," Chang said.

Police Maj. Ron Bode, who heads the Waikiki patrol district, said the department is taking no position on the bill at this time.

Police officers would enforce the law and issue citations if such a ban were in place.

Valerie Chang, executive director of the Hawaii Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Coalition, said people who suffer asthma could have a difficult time if they encounter secondhand smoke, which can trigger attacks that send them to the hospital.

Lila Johnson, program manager of the state Health Department’s Tobacco Prevention and Education Program, said the National Poison Control Center receives 15 to 30 calls a year from Hawaii residents about children ingesting cigarettes or cigarette butts.

Safety Committee Chairman Nestor Garcia previously told the Star-Advertiser he might consider asking his colleagues to consider a ban at all city beaches and parks. But heading his last committee meeting on Tuesday before his term expires, Garcia said, "I will not be pursuing that at this time."

Members Carol Fukunaga and Breene Hari­moto, who joined Chang and Garcia in advancing the measure Tuesday, said they would support an islandwide ban. The committee has five members.

Resident Lancelot Haili Lincoln said a beach smoking ban would violate the civil and human rights of smokers. "These beaches are for everybody, not just nonsmokers," Lincoln said.

Also Tuesday, a measure requiring the Hawaiian Humane Society to notify no-kill animal organizations of animals slated to be euthanized was defeated in the Council Parks and Cultural Affairs Committee by a 4-1 vote. Only bill author Tom Berg, who chairs the committee, voted to advance the bill.

Berg said the bill offers a "second chance" for animals slated for death and would save the city from the cost of euthanizing and disposal.

But Humane Society officials insisted the measure would require that they hold onto animals longer, requiring a larger shelter and other expenses they aren’t prepared to take on. They also argued that they hold onto all healthy, adoptable animals regardless of how long they have been in the shelter.