Question: I have encountered several places that serve food but do not allow people to use their toilets. They all say they have no public restroom. But if they serve food, aren’t they required to have restrooms for their customers?

Answer: No.

Many people assume all restaurants are required to provide public restrooms, but the state Department of Health requires public facilities only if the restaurants serve liquor.

In that case, the restaurant is required to provide toilet facilities based on the number of customers it can accommodate.

However, the Health Department does require food establishments, including restaurants, to provide restroom facilities for employees to ensure safe sanitary practices.

It might surprise you to know that state law also does not require shopping malls to provide public restrooms, although restaurants within a mall would be subject to the requirements listed above.

As the Health Department explained to Kokua Line previously, its administrative rules on sanitation govern food establishments, such as restaurants and markets, and places of public gathering, such as theaters, schools, dorms, auditoriums, churches, amusement places, etc.

Requirements for "minimum sanitary facilities" can be found in the department’s Sanitation Administrative Rules (see gen.doh.hawaii.gov/sites/har/AdmRules1/11-11.pdf).

Question: Is there a beginner’s tai chi class for seniors available?

Answer: The city Department of Parks and Recreation does offer tai chi classes, but it varies by location, depending on interest, availability of instructors and space.

The easiest way to find out where classes might be offered, as well as to show your interest, is to call your neighborhood or district park, said Parks Director Lester Chang.

He also suggested contacting the department’s two primary senior centers, Makua Alii Senior Center, 1541 Kalakaua Ave., call 973-7258; and Kaneohe Community & Senior Center, 45-613 Puohala St., call 233-7317.

You can also find information online at www.honolulu.gov/parks/programs/classesandprograms.htm.

POISON HOT LINE

Regarding who to call if you are exposed to pesticide fumes (Kokua Line, Oct. 9), another resource is the national Poison Help hot line: 1-800-222-1222.

The state Department of Agriculture’s Pesticides Branch advised calling 911 first if noxious odors pose an immediate threat to health and safety.

But Su Yates of the nonprofit Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition said people who may be exposed to any kind of noxious fumes or poisons should call the free hot line to find out what to do immediately.

"There could be myriad responses based on the substance," she said.

Yates explained that her organization has a grant with the Department of Agriculture for poison prevention education.

She said she wants the public to know about the hotline because "those folks are trained on the best practices and they can help you the quickest" when it comes to personal exposure to poisonous substances.

The hotline is operated by the nonprofit American Association of Poison Control Centers and is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. See www.aapcc.org/dnn/default.aspx for information.

Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or e-mail kokualine@staradvertiser.com.