HONOLULU – Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, a former smoker, signed a bill into law today (SB3262 SD1 HD1 CD1, SB 3262, Act 295) that will ban smoking in bars, restaurants, office buildings, workplaces and other public places.
She gave the following reason for her support: “It was not long ago when we believed that non-smoking sections in restaurants or on airplanes were sufficient to keep second-hand smoke away from nonsmokers. We now have concrete research about the serious dangers of secondhand smoke. We also know that tobacco is a leading cause of preventable death in Hawaii, therefore, it is critical that we do all we can to protect the health of our residents and visitors by providing public venues that are truly smoke-free. Hawai`i’s new smoke-free law will save lives. At the same time, we will continue to work with our community and health care partners to focus on preventing Hawaii youth from starting smoking.”
Lt. Governor James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr., was once a smoker as well. He says he quit smoking after his father and grandfather died from lung cancer: “It took shocking events in my life to understand the dangers of smoking and second-hand smoke and what tobacco use was doing to my health as well as the people around me. This new law will help protect the health of our youth and our elderly and everyone in between by minimizing the risks of exposure to second-hand smoke.”
The bill passed the House and Senate with just 6 of 76 votes in opposition. Those against the bill include Republican Sens. Gordon Trimble, Paul Whalen and Sam Slom; Democrat Reps. Cindy Evans and Bob Nakasone and Republican Rep. Mark Moses.
