STAND. COM. REP. NO.  463

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 608

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 608 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TOBACCO,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to protect young people from the dangers of using tobacco products by prohibiting the possession or use of tobacco products by minors.

     The Hawaii Food Industry Association supported this bill.  The American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific, Inc., supported the intent of this measure.  The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii, American Lung Association of Hawaii, and American Heart Association of Hawaii opposed this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 608, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 608, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair