ACTION ALERT:

We are in the midst of a youth vaping epidemic. In Hawai‘i, one in three high school students and one in five middle school students report “current use” of e-cigarettes.

In order to combat this alarming trend, Hawai‘i must take swift action. We know what works to reduce youth tobacco use – we did it before with cigarettes. Comprehensive policies, as well as investments in tobacco prevention, education, and cessation programs, brought Hawaii’s adult and youth smoking rate to record lows.  We don’t need to reinvent the wheel – by applying the same tobacco prevention and control policies to e-cigarettes, we can reverse the youth vaping epidemic.

TAKE ACTION!

1. Log-in/make an account on the Capitol website.
2. Go to the page for HB 826 and click on the “Submit Testimony” button.
3. Upload or write your testimony on why you SUPPORT HB 826 (It doesn’t need to be long!).
4. Please submit testimony by 10 AM on Monday, April 5 to ensure your testimony is on-time.

Note: This hearing is decision-making only, meaning that the committee will only be accepting written testimony. 

BILL INFORMATION:

HB 826 will comprehensively regulate e-cigarettes as a tobacco product by ending the sale of flavored electronic smoking devices (except menthol), taxing e-cigarettes as tobacco products, and subjecting sellers to licensing/permitting. The bill also expands the Attorney General’s Electronic Smoking Device Retailer Registration Unit to include enforcement of federal legislation.

Requested Amendment: Remove the menthol exemption from the flavor ban to advance health equity and prevent loopholes.

HB 826 is scheduled for a joint hearing by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and Committee on Judiciary on Tuesday, April 6 at 10 AM. Please submit your testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing for consideration.

TALKING POINTS:

• We in the midst of a youth vaping epidemic. In Hawai‘i, one in three high school students and one in five middle school students report “current use” of e-cigarettes (Hawai‘i YRBSS, 2019).
• Hawai‘i was successful in reducing cigarette use to record lows through policy, prevention, education, and cessation programs. By implementing the same tactics, we can reverse the trends in youth e-cigarette use.

WHY EACH POLICY IS IMPORTANT

• Flavors in tobacco products entice youth, while the nicotine keeps them hooked for life. Ending the sale of flavored tobacco products will reduce the appeal of these products and protect our keiki from a lifetime of addiction.
• We are concerned about the exemption of menthol, as it is a popular flavor among youth and may have equity implications.
• E-cigarettes are the only tobacco product without a tobacco tax. E-cigarettes should be taxed at the rate of other tobacco products, or 70% of the wholesale price.
• Dedicating some of the revenue from tobacco taxes to fund tobacco prevention and control programs complements and strengthens the effects of policies to reduce smoking rates.
• Licensing and permitting tobacco retailers and wholesalers will help with implementation and enforcement of current laws and regulations.
• Teenagers and young adults who used e-cigarettes were 5x more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 than non-users. Those who had used both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes (dual use) were 7x more likely to be diagnosed with the disease.

EQUITY IMPLICATIONS

• Tobacco use is an equity and social justice issue. According to the CDC’s 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), approximately 31 percent of Hawai‘i high school students and 18 percent of Hawai‘i middle schoolers are current e-cigarette users. For Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island (NHPI) youth these numbers climb to 40 percent for high school and 30 percent for middle school. 
• Disparities in tobacco use are due to the tobacco industry’s history of marketing menthol cigarettes to youth and vulnerable groups, such as the African American community. In Hawai‘i, 78% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander smokers use menthol cigarettes (Hawai‘i BRFSS, 2008). Mint and menthol flavored e-cigarettes are one of the most popular flavors among youth.