The council finds that the use and possession of devices capable of emitting gases or obnoxious substances, as defined in § 41-12.2, by unauthorized persons creates a potential danger to the peace and well-being of the community at large; but nevertheless, such devices, when properly used, serve a useful purpose. Therefore, pursuant to the power granted in Charter § 2-102 and HRS § 46-1.5, to protect health, life, and property and to protect the general welfare and safety of the inhabitants of the city, this article regulating the sale, purchase, possession, transportation, and use of obnoxious substances and granting the chief of police of the city authority to supervise the sale, purchase, possession, transportation, and use thereof according to the standards hereinafter stated, is enacted to insure that the dissemination of devices emitting obnoxious substances is limited to those agencies and their employees who have a legitimate need thereof. The terms of this article shall be liberally construed to effectuate the purpose stated herein.
(Sec 13-16.1, R.O. 1978 (1983 Ed.)) (1990 Code, Ch. 40, Art. 2, § 40-2.1)