As a high school student, I have been increasingly concerned by the rising rates of vaping in my community and around the island. My heart breaks to think of Hawaii’s youth who smoke or vape every day without considering the consequences.

Although these products claim to be a “healthier” alternative, there are many potential long-term problems that are still unknown.

Recent studies prove a strong link between smoking and Alzheimer’s disease. With the scientific evidence we have today, why should we continue to subject Hawaii’s youth to these harmful products?

I urge everyone to please support Senate Bill 2654, which would regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products and prevent underage teens from buying them.

Sara Kay

Kakaako

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Starbucks could train public, too

After the incident in a Philadelphia Starbucks, the coffee chain will close for one day in May, for racial bias training (“Starbucks to train workers on ‘unconscious bias,’ CEO says,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, April 16).

If this is such an important issue I think Starbucks should share the training content with the general public since the public supports Starbucks.

John Berry

Makiki

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Children should be taught in schools

As a certified teacher, I am 100 percent against any form of homeschooling. Children have civil rights in the United States. Does anyone ask the children if they want to be taught by mom or dad at the kitchen table, or go into a school building with other children their own age?

Why would anyone spend four years or more at the university level and then become state-certified to teach when a parent with a one-page form can overrule all of that?

Who thinks up these laws? Is it overreaching to expect any type of state regulation?

How dare parents strip their children of their civil right to a public education? That is the overreach.

Children need protection from the very parents whose egos are so distended that they believe they own the children as if they are personal possessions. Children are not personal possessions.

Please, let’s do better.

Carol Pierpont

Hawaii Kai

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Foam containers are thing of the past

Businesses come and go. The ones that succeed adapt with the times and changing markets. Makers of buggy whips, corsets, VCRs, etc. had to rethink their business models or fail.

State Rep. Sylvia Luke cites potential packaging company employee layoffs as a reason to kill a sensible bill that can reduce the negative environmental impact of foam containers (“Despite support, foam container ban bill fails to pass,” Star-Advertiser, April 14).

Is Luke also against Hawaii’s anti-smoking measures because tobacco industry workers could face layoffs? Maybe packaging company KYD Inc. should adapt, retool and make eco-friendly products.

Sean Goodspeed

Ala Moana

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Obey police orders, or risk getting shot

Police officers have an extremely demanding profession, protecting our population with onerous restrictions placed on them (“Supreme Court allows police to ‘shoot first and think later’,” Star-Advertiser, April 7). Unfortunately, they sometimes have to “shoot first” to protect themselves and the public from individuals who they believe to be a danger to themselves and others.

Those may include the mentally unstable, those unwilling to obey directions, or those who just dislike the police. Our police are highly trained, but are not psychiatrists who can instantly assess whether an individual is a threat.

Until we obey the police, as we all must, there will sometimes be consequences.

Joseph Alexander

Waipahu

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Set up communities for ill homeless

Many homeless people are drug addicts and mentally ill. Back during the Cold War, the government used to put these sorts of people in the insane asylums.

Maybe the government could set up tent communities where homeless people could live and receive the social and mental health services they need so badly.

Phil Robertson

Kailua

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Turn illegal houses over to homeless

I liked City Councilman Ikaika Anderson’s idea of razing illegally built homes, provided the perpetrators are made to pay for it.

There is, however, another alternative I like even better. With rampant homelessness plaguing our state, it would be a shame to destroy existing structures that could be used to help remedy this scandalous situation. As punishment, these lawbreakers should have to provide housing for deserving homeless rent-free or at a very nominal price in perpetuity.

I believe this will stop this nonsense in its tracks.

Anton Chainwalker

Palolo