STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2397

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3004

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, Higher Education, and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 3004 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to prohibit smoking, including the use of electronic smoking devices, on University of Hawaii premises.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii System, University of Hawaii Student Health Advisory Council, Graduate Assistants at UH Manoa in the Health Services and Health Promotion Office, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Alcohol and other Drug Education Program, American Heart Association, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Blue Zones Project Koolaupoko, and one hundred six individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly. Your Committees received comments on this measure from three individuals.

Your Committees find that tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States and in Hawaii, with tobacco-related diseases resulting in $96,000,000,000 in national health care costs annually. Your Committees also find that sales of electronic smoking devices have doubled each year since 2008, with sales reaching $1,700,000,000. Your Committees also find that approximately ninety-nine percent of smokers began smoking before age twenty-six.

Your Committees also find that over seventeen-hundred college campuses have already gone smoke-free, with over thirteen-hundred banning electronic smoking devices as well. Your Committees further find that smoking on university campuses negatively impacts students, faculty, and visitors, including high school students conducting campus visits. Your Committees find that existing no-smoking policies are irregular in application and enforcement across the University of Hawaii System.

Accordingly, your Committees find that a ban on smoking on the University of Hawaii campuses will have a strong impact on limiting the number of new smokers. Your Committees find that this measure will improve enforcement of existing smoking bans, and encourage positive health practices at the University of Hawaii. Your Committees also find that a university-wide statutory ban will provide uniformity for students who may attend classes at multiple campuses.

Your Committees have heard the concerns of some of the individual testifiers with respect to accommodating smokers on college campuses who may otherwise drop out. However, your Committees find that, on balance, promoting the overall health of the university community is a goal worth pursuing despite these concerns.

Finally, your Committees note and appreciate that the Department of Health and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network have volunteered to assist the University of Hawaii with implementation of the ban.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, Higher Education, and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3004 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, Higher Education, and Labor,

________________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair	________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair
	________________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair