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They are how we protect our special coastal places

04 • 28 • 2015

Hawaii State Legislature Passes Smoke-Free Beaches & Parks Bill!

Partnering with the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii, Surfrider’s Hawaii Chapters helped pass Smoke-Free Parks & Beaches Bills in Oahu County in 2013 and in Maui County in 2014.  In order to promote a statewide ban (HB525), we then expanded the Rise Above Plastics Coalition to include other organizations like Styrophobia, Conservation Council for Hawaii, Sustainable Coastlines and Kokua Hawaii Foundation.   To support the bill, our coalition sponsored a statewide cleanup on Sat., Jan 31, and collected more than 15,000 cigarette butts. We had biweekly conference calls with the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii and met with many of the key legislators to make sure it moved forward.   The bill passed through both the House and Senate on 4/28/15 and was sent to the Governor’s office.  When the bill is signed into law, Hawaii will be the first state in the country to ban smoking and tobacco products on its state beaches and parks.