STAND. COM. REP. NO. 505

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 166
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 166 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE
     TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND TOBACCO PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to prohibit the distribution
of samples of or coupons for cigarettes or tobacco products on
any public street, sidewalk, park, or within one thousand feet
from any elementary, intermediate, or high school.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Health, Department of Education, Police
Department of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii Nurses
Association, American Lung Association, American Academy of
Pediatrics, and Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii.  Testimony
in support of the intent of the measure was submitted by the
Legislative Information Services of Hawaii.

     Your Committee believes that this measure will be an
effective mechanism to reduce tobacco use by youth.  Cigarette
smoking is Hawaii's and the nation's number one preventable cause
of morbidity and mortality.  In Hawaii, those casualties
represent sixteen per cent or over 1,200 lives lost each year and
$238 million in economic losses every year.  Over ninety per cent
of smokers begin smoking during childhood and adolescence.  More
aggressive measures are needed to counteract the social forces

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 505
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that continue to induce Hawaii's young people to use tobacco
products.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying the
definition of "to distribute" to mean the "exclusive" purpose of
promoting a product, to avoid possible first amendment problems
with advertising.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 166, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 166,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health and Human
                                   Services,



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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