Hawaii Bulletin

Hawaii Bulletin

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Aspartame Ban Proposed in Hawaii
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

Aspartame Ban Proposed in Hawaii

Ryan Kawailani Ozawa's avatar
Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
Jan 29, 2008

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Aspartame Ban Proposed in Hawaii
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share

It's the stuff of urban legends and a million e-mail forwards: aspartame (a.k.a. Nutrasweet, Equal, and other brands) causes cancer, brain tumors, and a multitude of other ghastly and deadly health problems. And while the FDA, MIT, and several other so-called "experts" have constantly affirmed the relative safety of aspartame, hundreds of thousands of web pages can't be wrong!

To save the lives of countless soda and coffee drinkers in Hawaii, a bill has been introduced in the state Legislature (HB2680 and SB2506) to ban aspartame from the islands, courtesy House Speaker Rep. Calvin Say and Sen. Kalani English. The proposed law would prohibit "the manufacture, sale or delivery or holding or offering for sale of any food containing any amount of aspartame and its derivative compounds in any of their trade names."

The Hawaii bill has the enthusiastic backing of New Mexico resident Stephen Fox, who had campaigned for a similar ban in Santa Fe. In an e-mail plea for support, Fox thanked the lawmakers who "see the merit and need to protect the health of all Hawaiians, no matter what duplicity is perpetuated by the top brass and corporate lackeys at the FDA." Also lauded were Sen. Suzanne Chun-Oakland and Rep. Mele Carroll.

"I think it's great when we do extreme legislation, because it rises the issue above and it gets all of our attention," Carroll said in a KHON interview yesterday.

Fox says the New Mexico legislation was "overwhelmed and eviscerated" by a number of aspartame sympathizers, including Kraft, Philip Morris, Coca Cola, Wrigley's gum, and Japan's Ajinomoto. He warns: "The same corporations and even more will show up in Honolulu, make no mistake!"

In an online update, Fox says he's been in contact with Adrian Chang, a local engineer who led the fight against fluoridating Hawaii's water supply. Only time will tell whether the aspartame bill, and Fox's crusade, will have similar success.


Subscribe to Hawaii Bulletin

By Ryan Kawailani Ozawa ยท Launched 6 years ago
Island innovation in focus. Hawaii-based science, technology, startups and entrepreneurs, featuring local leaders, creators, educators, and more.

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Aspartame Ban Proposed in Hawaii
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share

Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Gallery: ThriveHI Pau Hana
A sold-out crowd of Honolulu-based tech workers (and their friends) packed the courtyard of Honolulu Beerworks in Kakaโ€˜ako yesterday.
Apr 14, 2023 โ€ข 
Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
13

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Gallery: ThriveHI Pau Hana
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Preview: Hawaii Angels Turns 22
The leading investment network for seed-level private equity investors in Hawaii starts a new chapter in 2024.
Jan 15, 2024 โ€ข 
Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
3

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Preview: Hawaii Angels Turns 22
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Hub Coworking Expands to Entrepreneurs Sandbox
Cofounder Nam Vu looks back at the pandemic and shares his bright vision for the remote-work future.
Apr 22, 2023 โ€ข 
Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
7

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Hub Coworking Expands to Entrepreneurs Sandbox
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
2

Ready for more?

ยฉ 2025 Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
Privacy โˆ™ Terms โˆ™ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

Create your profile

User's avatar

Only paid subscribers can comment on this post

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in

Check your email

For your security, we need to re-authenticate you.

Click the link we sent to , or click here to sign in.