Hawaii County Proposes Ban on Flavored Tobacco Products on the Big Island

Hawaii County has introduced a new proposal to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products on the Big Island, drawing widespread praise from residents and the Hawaii County Council on Wednesday.

According to a Dec. 21 report by the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Hawaii County has introduced a new proposal to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products on the Big Island, drawing widespread praise from residents and the Hawaii County Council on Wednesday.

The bill (Bill 102) would prohibit the marketing or sale countywide of any tobacco product that "imparts a taste or aroma other than tobacco flavor." The measure still requires further council votes and the mayor’s signature before it can become law, and even then, implementation would still require action at the state level.

At Wednesday’s bill hearing, dozens of residents, including children and teachers, strongly urged the council to pass the measure in order to protect the health of Big Island students.

Mitzie Higa, representing the Hawaii State Teachers Association, said teachers and school administrators often confiscate large numbers of students’ vaping devices and related equipment, yet are unable to stop the problem at its source. "We do not want to punish students; what we need is regulation of the tobacco industry," Higa said.

Higa’s position was supported by other tobacco control advocates. Kealoha Madriaga of the Hawaii Public Health Institute said that if menthol were eliminated, "44,000 people would quit smoking." He explained that without menthol’s cooling flavor to ease the irritation caused by smoking, people would no longer find smoking enjoyable.

At the same time, some community groups also expressed concerns about banning tobacco products. Jasmin Rios said such a ban would hurt small businesses while driving users to an unregulated black market. Tina Yamaki, president of the Hawaii Retail Merchants Association, also wrote that the ban would devastate the tobacco market.

In the end, council members praised the children who attended the meeting and unanimously agreed to support the bill. The Hawaii County Council will hold a final vote on the measure at a future meeting. However, even if it passes, the ban would still not take effect immediately. Because current state tobacco laws take precedence over county regulations, the ban can only be implemented after the state government passes legislation allowing counties to regulate tobacco products.