Three bills designed to curb smoking in public places on Oahu will be on the agenda of the City Council Public Safety and Economic Development Committee today.
While health advocates and environmentalists have pushed to expand smoking bans to more public outdoor venues, smokers’-rights advocates say the laws are unnecessary and intrude on civil liberties.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the Council committee room.
Bill 24, initiated by Mayor Kirk Caldwell, would clarify a city law that banned smoking at seven major East Honolulu parks and beaches, among them Kapiolani Park and Sandy Beach. City attorneys say a technicality prevented it from being enforced at six of the seven parks because while they are managed by the city, they are on land owned by the state. The new bill deletes the exemption on state-owned properties.
Bill 25, introduced by Councilman Ikaika Anderson, would expand the smoking ban to include all city-operated parks and beaches. Anderson opposed the earlier ban at seven East Honolulu parks, saying he believed the prohibition should apply equally around the island. Anderson had tried to amend that bill so the ban would have been islandwide but was rebuffed by his colleagues.
Bill 26, introduced by Councilman Ron Menor, would ban smoking at city bus stops. Menor said he introduced the measure after receiving complaints from constituents who object to people smoking near them while waiting for a bus.
Caldwell, who introduced an unsuccessful bill to ban smoking on beaches statewide while in the state Legislature, said he would likely sign the parks prohibition bills if passed by the Council.
The mayor said while he would also be inclined to sign the bill banning smoking at city bus stops, he first wants to hear public input and get a better understanding of the bill’s definition of a bus stop and whether it would be enforceable.
Council Public Safety Chairwoman Carol Fukunaga said it "looks very promising" that all three bills will advance out of her committee today.
Passage by the committee today will set up the bills for a final vote by the full Council, likely next month.
