Do not enact excessive regulation of ecigarettes in Honolulu

Vapor is scientifically proven to be a far less toxic alternative to tobacco smoke and is part of the solution to smoking. The positions taken by the state and anti-tobacco advocacy organizations that have testified on this bill ignore the wide and growing body of science that shows vapor to be minimally toxic to users, effectively nontoxic to bystanders, and potentially a huge public health benefit.

Honolulu is one of many municipalities that is under the negative influence of anti-tobacco organizations and advocacy groups on the topic of ecigarettes/vapor products. These groups are dependent on tobacco sales and use to survive. They are funded by the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement as well as large corporate donations from pharmaceutical companies that sell nicotine therapy products and smoking cessation drugs. Many politicians involved also receive funding from similar sources.

Ecigarettes/vapor products are a disruptive technology that is succeeding in replacing smoking from the grassroots on up, which is rapidly solving the problem of smoking tobacco. This is rendering anti-tobacco advocacy groups unnecessary and cutting into corporate profits. The current anti-vapor stance of these groups is not about public health, but about their continued survival as the rate of tobacco smoking in the US declines, in part thanks to ecigarettes/vapor products.