Biden is terrible
Please stop whining about the United States of America and actually, you know, serve it.
The Biden administration and the polarized leftists of this country continually assume they are doing their best to unite the country from the supposed divisive, evil bigotry the conservatives purportedly stirred up.
I, for one, wish we had a meritocracy. Those who actually can prove they served both nation and community should be the ones being elected.
Joe Biden is a terrible man and a sponge of many decades, having done nothing for the U.S. in his time, except play lip service to black Americans.
Those who whine about Donald Trump need to seriously look into their own backgrounds and hearts. Have you truly served your nation and community, or do you just pretend to be more patriotic by writing letters about how bad former presidents supposedly were?
Allen Russell
Hilo
E-cigarettes
As a University of Hawaii Nursing School student and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer, I’m concerned about the skyrocketing use of youth tobacco.
Roughly 30% of Hawaii’s high schoolers use e-cigarettes. Kids who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke cigarettes.
We can reverse these disturbing trends. Investing in tobacco prevention and cessation programs is proven to help prevent kids from using tobacco and help people who are already addicted to quit.
The Hawaii Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund has successfully decreased adult and youth smoking rates. Since its inception, youth cigarette smoking has decreased from 27.9% of Hawaii high schoolers in 1999 to 5.3% in 2019.
But, the current use of e-cigarettes among youth has reached epidemic levels and erased decades of progress.
Now, our lawmakers are considering eliminating funds to this critical program, especially alarming amid a pandemic when public health is at the forefront.
Reducing tobacco use is a critical part of building a healthier, safer future for Hawaii’s families.
I urge our Big Island lawmakers to oppose these funding cuts and protect this critical program.
Lokelani Chong
Hilo
