The Hawaii County Council is moving toward approving a ban on smoking at all beaches, parks and recreation areas on the island of Oahu.
The council's nine members, meeting as the council's parks and recreation committee, gave initial approval to expanding an outdoor smoking ban that now applies only to Kahaluu Beach Park.
That ban, passed last year, resulted from a campaign by a group of middle school students wanting to protect marine life from cigarette butts after they collected more than 2,000 butts from the Kahaluu beach in just 30 minutes as part of a science project.
The Honolulu Star Bulletin newspaper says the council is expected to take up the bill for a full-council vote at its next meeting on Feb. 21st.
