Smoking In Airports: A Traveler's Guide To Smoking Lounges

Smoking is a health hazard that can cause premature death and disease, including coronary heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Despite this, many airports still have designated smoking areas, including lounges, bars and restaurants. However, as of 2017, nearly half of the 50 busiest airports worldwide have a smoke-free policy.

Smoking lounges in airports

Smoking lounges are available in some airports, but not all. As of August 2017, nearly half (46%) of the 50 busiest airports worldwide have a smoke-free policy. However, for those that do have smoking lounges, they are usually located in the departures terminals, and sometimes in the arrivals terminals, too. They are often clearly marked and can be found using airport maps.

The lounges are fitted with smoke extractors, matches, ashtrays, and sometimes even ventilation systems, although these have been proven to be ineffective at stopping secondhand smoke from spreading throughout the building.

Some airports with smoking lounges include Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, and Mumbai Airport in India. Mumbai Airport has 14 smoking lounges in Terminal 1 and 19 in Terminal 2. Ataturk Airport has a smoking area in the departures terminal.

The tobacco industry's fight to keep smoking in airports

Despite the well-documented health risks of secondhand smoke, the tobacco industry has fought hard to keep smoking in airports. Schemes such as the Philip Morris Airport Options program have been designed to undermine smokefree policies and maximise smoking rates. As a direct result of tobacco industry lobbying, airport smoking rooms have been introduced. However, these rooms do not prevent secondhand smoke from spreading throughout the building and do not address the associated health hazards.

The tobacco industry has long recognised the value of airports as a captive audience for their products. Travellers who are stressed, bored, or simply looking for a way to pass the time are prime targets for tobacco companies. By providing designated smoking areas, complete with matches and ashtrays, the industry encourages smokers to light up before boarding their flights. These areas are often located in both departure and arrival terminals, making it convenient for travellers to smoke regardless of their flight status.

In addition to the physical presence of smoking lounges, the tobacco industry has also employed various tactics to normalise smoking in airports. For example, tobacco companies may sponsor airport events or advertise their products prominently throughout the airport. They may also offer discounts or promotions to travellers who purchase tobacco products within the airport. By creating an environment that is conducive to smoking, the industry hopes to maintain its customer base and continue generating profits.

While the tobacco industry's efforts to keep smoking in airports have been successful in some regions, there is a growing trend towards smoke-free policies. As of August 2017, nearly half (46%) of the 50 busiest airports worldwide had implemented smoke-free policies. These policies have been shown to significantly improve indoor air quality and reduce secondhand smoke exposure among non-smokers. The U.S. Surgeon General has also concluded that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke, highlighting the importance of eliminating smoking in indoor spaces.

Despite the progress made in reducing smoking in airports, the tobacco industry continues to fight for its interests. It is likely that the industry will continue to lobby against smoke-free policies and find new ways to promote its products in airports. However, with increasing public awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke and the implementation of stricter regulations, the tobacco industry's fight to keep smoking in airports may become increasingly difficult.

Smoke-free policies in airports

Despite the fact that smoking is a health hazard, there are still plenty of people who want to light up before getting on a plane or as they are transferring to another flight. As of August 2017, nearly half (46%) of the 50 busiest airports worldwide have a smoke-free policy. Smoke-free policies substantially improve indoor air quality and reduce secondhand smoke exposure among non-smokers. The 2006 Surgeon General's report concluded that eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects non-smokers from exposure to secondhand smoke, and that separating smokers from non-smokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposure of non-smokers to secondhand smoke. Previous CDC reports on airport smoke-free policies found that most large-hub airports in the United States prohibit smoking. However, the extent of smoke-free policies at airports globally has not been assessed.

Some airports have smoking lounges, complete with matches and ashtrays, along with designated areas in bars and restaurants. These lounges are fitted with smoke extractors and are located in the departure terminals throughout the airport. However, airport smoking rooms do not stop secondhand smoke from wafting throughout a building and do not address the health hazards of secondhand smoke. This is affirmed by ASHRAE, the standard-setting body for ventilation. Even brief low levels of exposure can trigger heart attacks, strokes or asthma attacks in at-risk travellers.

Second-hand smoke in airports

Despite this, the tobacco industry has fought relentlessly to keep smoking in airports, with schemes such as the Philip Morris Airport Options program designed to undermine smokefree policies and maximise smoking rates. Airport smoking rooms are the direct result of tobacco industry lobbying and do not stop secondhand smoke from wafting throughout a building.

As of August 2017, nearly half (46%) of the 50 busiest airports worldwide have a smoke-free policy. Smoke-free policies substantially improve indoor air quality and reduce secondhand smoke exposure among nonsmokers. The 2006 Surgeon General’s report concluded that eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke, and that separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke.

However, many airports still have designated smoking areas. For example, Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, has a smoking area, as does Mumbai Airport in India, which has smoking lounges in both the departure and arrival terminals.

Health hazards of second-hand smoke

Smoking is a health hazard, but there are still plenty of people who want to light up before getting on a plane or as they are transferring to another flight. Many airports have smoking lounges, complete with matches and ashtrays, along with designated areas in bars and restaurants. However, even these designated smoking areas do not stop secondhand smoke from wafting throughout the building, exposing non-smokers to its health hazards.

Secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard, causing more than 41,000 deaths per year. It can cause or make worse a wide range of damaging health effects in children and adults, including lung cancer, respiratory infections, and asthma. Exposure to secondhand smoke increases your risk of developing and dying from heart disease and having a stroke. It also increases your risk of coronary heart disease and lung cancer.

Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including about 70 that can cause cancer. When you breathe in secondhand smoke, you take in nicotine and toxic chemicals in the same way as a person who smokes. The more secondhand smoke you breathe in, the higher the levels of these harmful chemicals in your body.

The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Smoke-free policies substantially improve indoor air quality and reduce secondhand smoke exposure among non-smokers.

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