A ban on smoking at beaches would enhance Hawaii’s reputation

"Waikiki Beach is a giant ashtray!" So observed a Canadian visitor, whom I met on the beach at Kapiolani Park.

"And," he went on to say, "Once I’ve placed my towel on top of all those cigarette butts, the guy next to me is going to blow smoke in my face. In the Bahamas, the beaches are immaculate. Don’t you guys care about good health?"

East Honolulu Councilman Stanley Chang does, which is why he introduced Bill 72, which would ban smoking at Kapiolani Park, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Beach Park, Kuhio Beach Park and the beach portion of Ala Moana Regional Park. As Waikiki’s beaches are the most visited attraction of our leading industry, tourism, this was a bold and important move.

It didn’t take long for the "smoker’s rights" hysteria to begin.

At the initial Council hearing, the measure was called "hateful" and "harmful," and supporters were accused of being "bigoted health Nazis" in their "control-freak little world."

As for Chang, "Shame on him. Why does he attack his constituents who smoke?"

And, of course, there were the usual predictions that smokers would lose their civil rights, and Asian smokers would avoid Hawaii in vast numbers.

We’ve heard these arguments for many years, and they were compelling enough to prevent smoking bans, whether in beaches or bars.

But we’ve moved on. Today, we must face the fact that each year, 443,000 Americans die of smoking (including second-hand smoke) — one in five deaths. Moreover, close to $100 billion is spent annually on tobacco-related health care. We now unflinchingly tell smokers that their habit is dirty and dangerous, and we will not tolerate it in both public and private places.

Hence, bans on smoking are spreading throughout the world: on all forms of public transportation and in, or near, public facilities; at hospitals, eating establishments, entertainment places and shopping centers; and yes, at parks and even beaches (e.g., Maine and California).

For those who claim it is a civil rights issue, what about the civil rights of persons who suffer smoke in their faces? Would they tolerate an individual who stands a few feet in front of them and yells in their ears?

What about the supposed negative effects on our tourism industry?

I recently returned from a trip to Japan and Korea, and was impressed by how they are handling their smoking problems. Yes, heavy smoking still exists, but at airports and train stations, smokers are confined to separate areas. Because there is a high degree of cleanliness and environmental awareness in these nations, a smoking ban at our beaches would have little effect on travel to the islands.

Besides, I have not seen studies that even remotely suggest that the existing smoking ban on Hawaii island or at Hanauma Bay has had a deleterious effect on tourism. I suspect that any losses have been more than offset by environmentally conscious visitors.

Even anti-smoking ban advocates agree that Waikiki’s beaches are littered with cigarette butts. The city spends half a million dollars a year for machines to sift the sand each night, but it’s a tremendous job. What about babies who place toxic filters in their mouths before the machines arrive? What about ocean critters who unwittingly consume our waste?

The situation is so bad, the Hilton Hawaiian Village has been forced to clean its own beach areas.

Yes, we already have anti-littering laws, but what about the ashes that turn the sand gray and smelly?

Thank you, Councilman Chang. Bill 72 will enhance Hawaii’s reputation as one of America’s most beautiful — and healthful — states.