Honolulu Mayor Bans Smoking at Beaches

[Targetlock]

Source: HawaiiNewsNow.com

Link: Mayor signs smoking ban at certain beaches into law - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL


A few quotes:

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell signed Bill 72 into law to expand the city's smoking ban. Michael Zehner testified against the measure as part of the Hawaii Smokers Alliance. He is upset that people won't be allowed to light up in certain spots. "The fact that our civil liberties are in jeopardy. That it's discriminatory. It makes no distinction between other types of litter items and tobacco products," said Zehner.

"I think it's a good plan. Smoking is kind of bothersome to any of us that don't smoke, and more and more people are not smoking," said Canadian visitor Terry Eastoe.

(Takes deep breath)

Okay, here's my POV on this matter. BTW I'm new to this forum, want to say what's up to everyone here at ECG.

Regarding the article, I think it's absurd and ridiculous. First of all I fail to see how they'll enforce it (a cop at every beach?) Second, I have more of a problem with litter than I do with the smoke... at a beach. Hawaii's beaches have nice breezes folks, I've been around a hundred people who smoked and it never made it to me in the water. I smell burning charcoal from bbq's and exhaust from cars than I do cigarette smoke. The smell from people's BO and whatever suntan lotion are more intrusive than anyone's smoke.

I'm not exactly proud to be a non-smoker from the perspective that a lot of them simply aren't nice, courteous people themselves. I've seen so many d-bag's that complain about second hand smoke that came from 20 yards away, across the street, from behind a tree. I mean seriously?

How does this relate to vaping? Our county's famous for setting the national standard for the most stupid laws implemented and I'm concerned that this new Honolulu law may include electronic cigs/PV's as well. For the record I'm 110% fine with electronic cigs, I think it's a great invention and the community and culture are just incredible. Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[Mortificant]

I will be vaping on the Sandbar off Kaneohe this weekend, I don't expect to run into much of any trouble. And yeah, Hawaii does have a somewhat backwards approach to doing things sometimes

 

[D4rk50ul]

They already shot down the vaping ban like 6 months ago. Cigarette butts are a huge source of litter on the beaches though, they pulled something like a ton of them off Waikiki beach in a cleanup a ways back. I vape on the beaches all the time and don't plan on stopping.

 

[Targetlock]

Yeah I don't think it'll be a problem out there but you never know. Ever since they banned alcohol out there the patrols tag people for all kinds off stuff.

 

[Targetlock]

They already shot down the vaping ban like 6 months ago. Cigarette butts are a huge source of litter on the beaches though, they pulled something like a ton of them off Waikiki beach in a cleanup a ways back. I vape on the beaches all the time and don't plan on stopping.

That's good to know, thx. I agree that litter from analogs are bad. Volcanoecigs sponsored a recent cleanup of Kakaako and they pulled out a ton. Honestly the more people that convert to ecigs, the better off we are. I just don't like the idea that our lawmakers feel like going on a banning spree is what's best for Oahu.

http://youtu.be/vnOrOjc10Gk

 

[Dj tank]

I see the reasoning. If people would not leave the butts in the sand it probably wouldn't be an issue. Even as a ex smoker I hated laying out and finding my area was an ashtray to someone.

 

[nahoku]

You know, I'm originally from Oahu, and getting ready to move back this year. I really don't mind that you can't smoke in certain places but the beach is kind of pushing it. However, if I were a non-smoking tourist sitting on the beach at Waikiki, I might have a different view if there was some smoker smoking right next to me. Waikiki is super crowded, but... Sandy Beach?! Gee, pretty soon, you won't be able to smoke anywhere except inside your house!

However, when I think about it, and being a vaper rather than smoker now, the inconvenience may help more people to either quit or smoke less. For sure, I smoked less because California put a lot of rules on smokers too.

I also heard about Hawaii shooting down a law related to vaping, but I don't remember what that was exactly.

Mahalo for the news!

 

[jfalbanese]

it's nice not really worrying about stuff like this anymore. if you really think how much this petty stuff was allowed to take up space in our brains. it's sad.

 

[eratikmind]

Thus, continues the anti-smoking hysteria. Being an ex-smoker, I can understand some of the arguments.

Moving forward . . . This can be a good opportunity for Vapers, depending on how vaping is introduce into the mainstream, as vapers are growing by the numbers.

Nicotine will be around for a long time to come and many people will continue to use it, in one form or another. The uninitiated vaping and anti smoking community make no differentiation between the two. As such, while vaping in public, we need to separate ourselves from our smoking counterparts by our actions and behavior.


- Andy . . . Challenge in lieu of being challenged.

 

[RT88]

right, it's just the butts. every night at 1am or something the big harvester thing runs over the beach like a zamboni spinning and picking up trash, and its mostly butts.

yesterday i had to fly to kauai and asked the hawaiian airlines guy if i could vape in the terminal. he said probably not, and technically, they were not supposed to let people take them on the flights... i found that strange as the liq limit is 3oz (90mL)