HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	98
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

urging the Environmental Health Administration of the department of Health to conduct a feasibility study ON IMPLEMENTATION OF a cigarette litter prevention program in hawaii.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, created by Keep America Beautiful in 2002, is the nation's largest program aimed at eliminating cigarette litter; and

 

     WHEREAS, according to the 2020 Keep America Beautiful National Litter Study, nine out of 10 littered items counted were four inches or less in length, with cigarette butts being the most littered item in this category, accounting for 9,700,000,000 butts counted on any given day in the United States; and

 

WHEREAS, communities that implement a Cigarette Litter Prevention Program consistently reduce cigarette litter by half, based on local measurements taken in the first four to six months after the program is implemented; and

 

WHEREAS, since its inception, the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program has been implemented in more than 1,800 communities across the United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, an effective local Cigarette Litter Prevention Program includes four proven, field-tested solutions or strategies for reducing cigarette butt litter:

 

     (1)  Reviewing local litter laws, including laws on litter caused by cigarette butts, and supporting enforcement of these laws;

 

     (2)  Raising awareness about the issue of proper cigarette butt disposal by using messaging and marketing campaigns;

 

     (3)  Placing ash receptacles at transition points to non-smoking areas, such as beaches, hospitals, or public parks; and

 

     (4)  Distributing pocket or portable ashtrays to adult smokers; and

 

     WHEREAS, the environment and natural beauty of Hawaii would benefit from less litter caused by cigarette butts; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Environmental Health Administration of the Department of Health is urged to conduct a feasibility study on implementation of a Cigarette Litter Prevention Program in Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Environmental Health Administration of the Department of Health is requested to submit a report of its feasibility study, including any findings, recommendations, or proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health and Deputy Director for Environmental Health Administration.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Cigarette Litter Prevention Program; Department of Health; Environmental Health Administration; Feasibility Study