Stop Big Tobacco from targeting Hawai'i keiki

"Tobacco Money Stops Here" Pledge

In Hawai'i, the tobacco companies (including e-cigarette companies) have spent nearly $350,000 since 2014 on campaign contributions to block policies that would reduce tobacco use. Their business model is simple. The more people use tobacco products, the more money they make. Spending money to influence elections and legislation serves only one purpose — to prevent policies from passing that will result in fewer people using tobacco products. They don't care who dies from using their products, so long as they keep smoking. The tobacco industry spends over $22 million on marketing every year in Hawai'i to addict new customers — primarily keiki — and then spends whatever it takes to make sure no policies can pass that would reduce the number of smokers in our state.

We asked candidates and incumbents in the 2024 election to reject or return campaign contributions from any tobacco company from the time of the last pledge in 2022 until now. This means they rejected campaign contributions from any tobacco company including, but not limited to Altria Client Services Inc. and its affiliates; Cigar Association of America; Juul Labs, Volcano E-Cigarette Company and RAI Services Company and its affiliates.

2025 Legislative Priorities

This year, we urge our state legislators to join us to achieve the following goals:

1. Eliminate the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol.
2. Return local control to the counties so they can protect our kids.
3. Stop the influence of Big Tobacco by saying "NO" to campaign contributions from tobacco companies.

Our Counties Are Ready to Protect Our Kids

In October 2023, the City & County of Honolulu passed Bill 46 to end the sale of flavored tobacco on Oahu. In January 2024, the Hawaiʻi County Council also passed a similar bill to stop the sale of flavored tobacco on the Big Island. In December 2024, the Maui County Council also passed a bill to stop the sale of flavored tobacco for all of Maui County (Maui, Lana'i and Molokai).

However, these laws cannot be implemented yet because the power to regulate tobacco currently rests with the state.

In 2018, the state took over the power to regulate tobacco products, but has not been able to pass legislation that would end the sale of flavored tobacco. We urge our state lawmakers to restore the power to the counties to regulate tobacco so that these laws can be activated as soon as possible. Maui County, the City & County of Honolulu and Hawai'i County are ready and waiting for the power to protect their keiki.