October 29, 2003
HONOLULU - The Hawai`i State Department of Health will unveil an
overview of trends and health data on Hawai`i’s smoking and
tobacco use tomorrow at the tobacco conference, Making Waves: Pursuing
Health and Justice in Tobacco Control. The report, "Smoking and
Tobacco Use in Hawai`i: Facts, Figures and Trends" includes data on
topics such as age of onset, smokers by community and ethnicity,
exposure at work, cost of medical treatment and tobacco use policy.
The report is designed to provide valuable and easy to find data for
Hawai`i’s decision makers and researchers, as well as tobacco
prevention programs, agencies, and organizations. The information can
also provide a better perspective on the tobacco issue in Hawai`i as a
whole. "It is our hope that this information will help us all continue
to make great strides to reduce the burden of tobacco in Hawai`i," says
Director of Health,
Chiyome L. Fukino, M.D.
Since 1991, the Tobacco Prevention and Education Program at the
Hawai`i Department of Health developed and implemented a comprehensive
program to reduce tobacco use in the State of Hawai`i by preventing
initiation, promoting quitting, eliminating exposure to environmental
tobacco smoke and eliminating disparities related to tobacco use. A
major component of a comprehensive program is surveillance and
evaluation to monitor progress towards goals. In an effort to summarize
the available data on tobacco use and related issues, this document
provides a comprehensive look at tobacco use in Hawai`i.
Listed below are a preview of findings in "Smoking and Tobacco
Use in Hawai`i: Facts, Figures and Trends."
- Tobacco use results in the death of over 1,100 residents of Hawai`i
annually and costs $525 million a year in medical costs and lost
productivity.
- Over 60% of middle school students and over 70% of high school
students report smoking menthol cigarettes.
- One in five households in Hawai`i has an adult who smokes living
there.
- About 1 in 8 indoor workers have been exposed to secondhand smoke
on the job during the past week.
- Over 70% of work places prohibit smoking in all enclosed
areas.
- Over 70% of people in Hawai`i, and almost 50% of smokers, believe
all restaurants and bars should be smoke-free.
- Smoking and tobacco use are the leading cause of preventable death
and disease in Hawai`i and the nation.
A complete copy of the report can be found at www.hawaii.gov/doh.
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For more information, contact
Darcie Yukimura
Information Specialist, Communications
Phone: (808) 586-4402
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