STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1314

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.C.R. No. 45

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 45 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING A SMOKING CESSATION BENEFIT TO HAWAII QUEST BENEFICIARIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this resolution is to request that the Department of Human Services study the feasibility of implementing a smoking cessation benefit to Hawaii Quest Beneficiaries. 

     The Department of Human Services testified in opposition of this measure.  The American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes, and the Coalition for Tobacco-Free Hawaii all submitted testimony in support of this measure.

     Your Committees find that smoking remains a major health issue for Hawaii's people.  According to the Department of Health, seventeen percent of adults and more than fourteen percent of high school students smoke cigarettes in Hawaii.  Although the smoking rate among pregnant women remains relatively low at 7.1 percent, this high risk behavior impacts the lives of 1,200 babies each year.  Smoking cessation programs would highly benefit Hawaii's population and reduce the harms that cigarettes impose on the people of Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 45 and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair