HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	68
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY TO CONTINUE TO DOCUMENT VIOLATIONS OF THE PROHIBITION ON SMOKING IN AND AROUND PUBLIC HOUSING.

 

 

     WHEREAS, the Surgeon General of the United States has declared that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke and that breathing even small amounts of secondhand smoke can be dangerous; and

 

     WHEREAS, "thirdhand smoke" is generally considered to be the residual nicotine and other chemicals left on a variety of indoor surfaces by tobacco smoke; and

 

     WHEREAS, residue from thirdhand smoke builds up on surfaces over time, resists routine cleaning, and cannot be eliminated by airing out rooms, opening windows, using fans or air conditioners, or confining smoking to only certain areas of a home; and

 

     WHEREAS, thirdhand smoke residue is thought to react with common indoor pollutants to create a toxic mix that contains cancer-causing substances, which poses a potential health hazard to nonsmokers who are exposed to it, especially children; and

 

     WHEREAS, Act 91, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014, enacted a prohibition on smoking in and around public-housing projects, state low-income housing projects, and elder or elderly households in an effort to provide smoke-free environments for families; and

 

     WHEREAS, violators of the prohibition established by Act 91, codified as section 356D-6.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, may negatively affect the health of subsequent tenants and guests of public housing projects, state low-income housing projects, and elder or elderly households due to the dangers associated with thirdhand smoke; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority is requested to continue to document violations of the prohibitions in section 356D-6.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority is requested to retain this documentation in a resident's record to comply with the rules of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and the Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

Report Title: 

Thirdhand Smoke; Hawaii Public Housing Authority