Not that they were ever going hang out together or anything, but the
fight between smokers and anti-smokers took a nasty twist on Thursday.

The anti-smoking camp circulated a letter around the state Capitol by
David Kawika Crowley, the co-chair of the Hawaii Smokers Alliance, to a
state health official that can at best be described as passionate.

Crowley called the dispute over the state¹s new smoking ban a war and
warned against comparisons to the unsuccessful opposition to similar bans in
California and New York.

" My friend, this is Hawaii, a totally different and unique beast," he wrote. "You made the first very grave mistake of underestimating us local folk under outside attack. And I will insure your side's weak point will continue to make one mistake after another.

"Frankly, I love a bloody fight. However, I also cherish common-sense
logical thinking. I'm giving you just this one opportunity before we jump
into Round Two. We won Round One, sir."

Some in the anti-smoking camp said the letter was harassment.

"It borders on terroristic threatening," said Aimee Larsen
Kirkpatrick, who helped get the smoking ban passed last session.

Crowley, of Hilo, who had taken to carrying an unlit cigar at committee
hearings, got a chuckle at the reaction. "Show me where it¹s
threatening," he said of the letter. "If you can¹t stand the fire, get the hell out
of the kitchen."

After all that, the House Judiciary Committee Thursday night deferred a bill that would have created an exception to the ban for bars. The Senate Health Committee killed the bill earlier this month, meaning it is likely dead for the year.

But state Rep. Tommy Waters, D-51st (Lanikai, Waimanalo), the chairman of
the House Judiciary Committee, said he believes the ban is probably
unenforceable and that he favors an exception for open-air bars.

Waters predicted a similar bill would be back again next session.