Bertrand Kobayashi

"It involves nicotine," Bertrand Kobayashi of the American Lung Association.

"It has to do with blockages of the air passages, deep in the lungs," says Bertrand Kobayashi of the American Lung Association of Hawaii.

Besides getting medication from your doctor, there are other precautions you can take.

"Stay indoors if possible.If you have an air conditioner or air purifier, use that.If you think you need a mask, get a mask," Kobayashi says.

Bertrand Kobayashi, of the American Lung Association's Hawaii office, said his organization developed the "Safe Haven" program in response.On New Year's Eve, the big fireworks holiday in his state, people can find respite from the smoke in hotels and mountain retreats coordinated by Safe Haven. Kobayashi realizes fireworks are "a show of patriotism." "But it is still a health hazard," he said."People who do not have asthma do not understand how sensitive people who have asthma can be." He suggested that it is generally illegal in the United States to hurt someone else.But fireworks appear to be an exception to that principle. "One thing we say here at the American Lung Association is, if you can't breathe, nothing else matters," he said.

"There is increasing indication that tobacco remains the biggest preventable cause of death and disease in Hawaii and in the United States," said Bertrand Kobayashi, American Lung Association of Hawaii director of advocacy and partnerships.
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Kobayashi said some of each year's amount goes to build up the endowment, and the rest is dispensed to programs of dozens of other nonprofit agencies, such as community health centers.

Hawaii was mistakenly given an A grade on last year's report card, based on incorrect information provided to the national association, Kobayashi said.

"Obviously, we are far below where we should be," said Bertrand Kobayashi, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association of Hawaii, who says the state's $6.8 million a year for tobacco prevention falls short of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's minimum guidelines of $10.8 million.
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Very little of the current $1.40-a-pack cigarette tax goes into anti-smoking or health programs either, according to Kobayashi.In fact, the tax raises $80 million a year for the general fund for other state programs, with less than $90,000 going to tobacco prevention.