HCR243

WHEREAS, twenty-five percent of children between ten to seventeen years of age and fifty-eight percent of adults in Hawaii are overweight or obese; and

WHEREAS, the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay in Hawaii have increased dramatically over the past decade, and obesity-related medical expenditures in Hawaii were calculated to be over $470,000,000 in 2009 and are continuing to increase; and

WHEREAS, there is overwhelming evidence that obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay are linked to the consumption of sugary-fattened beverages, including soft drinks, energy drinks, sweet teas, and sports drinks; and

WHEREAS, according to nutritional experts, sugary-fattened beverages offer little or no nutritional value and contain large quantities of added sugars; and

WHEREAS, a twenty ounce bottle of soda contains the equivalent of approximately sixteen teaspoons of sugar, despite the recommendations of the American Heart Association that Americans consume no more than five to nine teaspoons of sugar per day; and

WHEREAS, research shows that almost half of the added calories that Americans consume in their diets come from sugary-fattened beverages; and

WHEREAS, in addition to sugar, acids found in beverages like soda, energy drinks, and juice erode tooth enamel, making beverage consumption a contributor to dental cavities in children; and

WHEREAS, according to the 2012 Rethink Your Drink Adolescent Survey Report, adolescents in Hawaii drink an average of 8.6 cans, glasses, or bottles of sugary-fattened beverages per week, and nearly all boys (ninety-four percent) and girls (ninety-three percent) reported consuming at least one serving of a sugary-fattened beverage in the past week; and

WHEREAS, the State has an interest in promoting the welfare, health, and safety of its adolescents and residents, and should pursue goals that promote a healthier quality of life; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of the Representatives of the Twenty-Ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to convene a sugary-fattened beverage working group to research ways to reduce the consumption of sugary-fattened beverages in Hawaii and provide recommendations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to include as members of the sugary-fattened beverage working group, representatives from the:

(1) Department of Taxation;

(2) Department of Human Services;

(3) Hawaii Public Health Institute;

(4) American Heart Association;

(5) Hawaii Dental Association;

(6) American Academy of Pediatrics; and

(7) John A. Burns School of Medicine; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that, as part of its research, the sugary-fattened beverage working group is requested to consider:

(1) Limiting the availability of sugary-fattened beverages in public schools by replacing sugary-fattened beverages with healthier alternatives;

(2) The impacts on public health, using a cost-benefit analysis and considering related fee structures, of replacing sugary-fattened beverages with healthier alternatives;

(3) The potential impacts of a public education and awareness campaign about the health issues associated with sugary-fattened beverages and the benefits of replacing them with healthier alternatives;

(4) The projected benefits of reducing the cost of healthy beverages paid for by a surcharge on the sale of sugary-fattened beverages in Hawaii; and

(5) Recommendations on the best use of funding to enhance the health of Hawaii's children and communities by replacing sugary-fattened beverages with healthier alternatives; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the sugary-fattened beverage working group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Director of Human Services, Director of Taxation, Dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine of the University of Hawaii, President of the Hawaii Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Board President of the Hawaii Division of the
American Heart Association, and President of the Hawaii Dental Association.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

DOH; Sugary-fattened Beverages; Sweetened Drinks; Obesity; Diabetes; Public Health; Working Group

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	243
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII