Lawmaker says isle ban
on beach smoking
will be a breeze

Visitors from colder climes flock to Hawaii's shores to snorkel, surf and sink their feet into the unblemished white sands of the state's beaches.

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But camouflaged among the coast's glassy granules lies a hidden peril -- toxic and seemingly indestructible cigarette butts cast away by careless smokers.

In a state where every beach is public, it is possible to light up in the sand outside the toniest oceanfront homes.

State lawmakers want that to stop. Under a bill before the Legislature, beach goers and visitors to public parks would not only need to leave their smokes in the car, they could be fined $250 if they forego ashtrays and trash bins and flick their butts onto the ground.

A number of municipalities, including San Francisco and even Honolulu -- where smoking is prohibited at the popular Hanauma Bay -- already have some sort of ban.

But Hawaii would be the first state to have such a law on its books.

Other states, including Delaware and California, recently failed to pass similar legislation.

Rep. Kirk Caldwell (D, Manoa), author and co-sponsor of the bill, said his inspiration was a short documentary he saw in December made by a community leader in his district, Jim Harwood. It was entitled "No Butts on the Beach."

Caldwell, a nonsmoker whose father died because of his smoking, said he sees the potential law as a tool for making Hawaii healthier.

"When you go to the beach, don't you think of being in the sun, feeling the wind, feeling the sun on your skin, being in the water? And then there's someone sitting next to you smoking ... smoke's drifting down into your face," Caldwell said. "It runs counter to my idea of being out in the environment and trying to be healthier,"

Lawmakers might expect an outcry from those who deal in tourism from countries where cigarette smoking is more popular than in the United States, particularly in Asia and Europe, he said.

However, he noted that when Hawaii counties banned smoking in restaurants a few years ago, tourists didn't flee as opponents had warned.

Reports from the National Restaurant Association showed a 3 percent increase in restaurant revenues in 2003, after bans on Oahu, Maui and Kauai took effect.

And discovering the remnants of a stranger's cigarette while digging through the sand could also mar the island experience for tourists, many of whom come to Hawaii for its pristine, natural beauty, Caldwell said.

Despite Caldwell's concerns, the bill is unlikely to be met with much opposition or even surprise from foreign tourists, said Yujiro Kuwabara of the Japan Travel Bureau.

Even in notoriously cigarette-friendly Japan, healthy habits have caught on and smoke-free pedestrian areas have been set up in the nation's capital, he said.

The only challenge of such a law will be to make sure tourists know that things have changed in Hawaii, Kuwabara said.

"As long as we explain the reason to the tourists, I think they will understand," he said.

Rep. Josh Green, a Big Island emergency room physician and vice chairman of the House Health Committee, said he is confident the measure will pass.

"I don't expect to meet a lot of resistance out of the governor's office but ... always ready for a good dialogue," Green (D, Keauhou-Honokohau) said.