Ruth Haines
Smoking is a health hazard, but many people still want to light up, especially when travelling. While smoking on airplanes flying to, from, or within the United States has been banned since 2000, many airports still have designated smoking areas. These include smoking lounges, smoking rooms, and smoking terraces. However, the presence of these areas does not prevent secondhand smoke from affecting other travellers and airport employees. As a result, many airports are now 100% smokefree, and there is a growing trend towards smokefree airports worldwide.
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What You'll Learn
Smoking lounges at airports
Smoking lounges are available at dozens of airports across the globe. These lounges are typically located in the departures terminals, often in the transit areas, and can be found using airport maps. Some airports have multiple smoking lounges in each concourse, while others have outdoor smoking areas near ticketing and baggage claim.
For example, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, India, has smoking lounges in both the departure and arrival terminals. In Terminal 1, the arrival hall next to Belt Five and departures between Gates 26 and 27 have designated smoking areas. Terminal 2 has smoking lounges at Level 4 retail, Gate 28 (international departures), Level 3 retail, and Gates 42 and 47 (domestic departures). There are also additional lounges in the arrivals hall on Level 2, between baggage belts 1 and 2, near Belt 5, and close to Belt 12.
Another example is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which has smoking lounges and rooms located before and after passport control. Before passport control, the smoking areas are located outside Schiphol Plaza and are marked with white dotted lines. After passport control, most smoking lounges are located inside airport bars.
While smoking lounges provide a space for smokers to indulge, it is important to note that they do not eliminate the health hazards of secondhand smoke exposure. According to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, even brief low levels of exposure can trigger heart attacks, strokes, or asthma attacks in at-risk individuals. As a result, many airports are now 100% smoke-free, including major hubs in the US, Asia, and Europe.
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Airports with smoke-free policies
Smoking on airplanes flying to, from, or within the United States has been banned since 2000. However, airports have been slower to adopt smoke-free policies. A 2017 report by the CDC found that only 23 of the world's 50 busiest airports had smoke-free indoor policies. This included five of the ten busiest airports. The remaining 27 airports continued to allow smoking in designated indoor smoking areas.
Since 2012, two of the five large-hub U.S. airports that allowed smoking in designated indoor areas have implemented smoke-free policies. These include Salt Lake City International and Denver International. As of 2024, nearly all U.S. hub airports are 100% smoke-free indoors, including Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, and Newark. The most recent airport to implement a no-smoking policy was Washington Dulles in 2023. Some airports, like Indianapolis, are also smoke-free outdoors.
Internationally, many airports are now 100% smoke-free, including major Asian hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Bangkok. However, less than half of the world's biggest airports have a smoke-free policy. Of the 50 busiest airports, 14 in North America, four in Europe, and four in Asia had smoke-free policies. The only airport among the 50 busiest in Oceania, Sydney International, is smoke-free. None of the 50 busiest airports are located in South America or Africa.
Designated smoking areas can cause involuntary secondhand smoke exposure among non-smoking travelers and airport employees, even with ventilation. The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
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Airports with indoor smoking areas
As of 2024, nearly all hub airports in the US are 100% smoke-free indoors, including Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, and Newark, among others. The most recent US airports to implement no-smoking policies were Washington Dulles in 2023 and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in 2020. Some airports like Indianapolis are also smoke-free outdoors.
However, there are still a few US airports that allow indoor smoking, such as Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas (also known as McCarran International Airport), Memphis, Nashville, Cincinnati-Northern KY, and Biloxi. Outside of the US, major airports in Beijing, Shanghai, and Bangkok have also implemented 100% smokefree policies.
A study from 2017 found that 23 of the world's 50 busiest airports have smoke-free indoor policies, indicating a growing trend toward smokefree airports worldwide. This trend is supported by organizations like the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, which advocates for the elimination of secondhand smoke hazards in airports and prioritizes the health of airport employees and travelers.
While designated smoking areas in airports aim to accommodate smokers, they often fail to prevent secondhand smoke from spreading throughout the building, posing health risks to travelers and employees. As a result, airports are increasingly repurposing former smoking areas into more useful spaces, such as seating areas, retail shops, and charging stations.
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Outdoor smoking areas at airports
As of 2024, nearly all hub airports in the US are 100% smoke-free indoors. However, some airports do provide designated smoking areas outdoors. For example, Tampa Airport has smoking areas at each set of gates, which are technically outdoors but covered. Similarly, Greenville-Spartanburg Airport has a courtyard attached to the terminal with a smoking corner, and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas also permits smoking.
Some airports, like Indianapolis, are also smoke-free outdoors, and have repurposed former smoking areas into seating areas, retail shops, and charging stations. This is to help eliminate the toxic smoke surrounding building entrances and shuttle stops, which can cause health issues for non-smokers. A study by the CDC found that 23 out of the 50 busiest airports in the world have smoke-free indoor policies, and five of these are among the ten busiest airports.
If you are looking for an outdoor smoking area at an airport, your best bet is to ask an airport employee. They will be able to direct you to the nearest designated smoking area, if there is one. It is important to note that even in outdoor smoking areas, smokers must be a certain distance away from buildings and entryways to prevent the spread of second-hand smoke.
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Health hazards of secondhand smoke at airports
Smoking on airplanes flying to, from, or within the United States has been banned since 2000. As of 2024, nearly all U.S. hub airports are 100% smoke-free indoors, including Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, and Newark. A growing trend toward smoke-free airports is being observed worldwide. However, despite the implementation of no-smoking policies in airports, secondhand smoke remains a significant health hazard for travellers and airport employees.
Secondhand smoke, also known as passive smoking, is the smoke that non-smokers inadvertently inhale when in the vicinity of burning tobacco products. It contains numerous toxic substances and poisons, similar to those inhaled by active smokers. Exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and coronary heart disease. Even brief periods of exposure can damage the lining of blood vessels and cause blood platelets to become stickier, leading to an elevated risk of heart attack. Furthermore, non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke have a 20–30% increased risk of developing lung cancer.
Secondhand smoke is particularly harmful to children and infants, whose developing bodies are more susceptible to the toxic effects. They are at an increased risk of respiratory infections, ear infections, and asthma attacks. Exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy can also lead to adverse reproductive health effects, including low birth weight. Additionally, secondhand smoke has been linked to an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), with infants who have died from SIDS exhibiting higher concentrations of nicotine and cotinine (a marker for secondhand smoke exposure) in their lungs.
The health hazards of secondhand smoke at airports are not limited to immediate exposure. Even after a smoking area has been repurposed, toxic residues may remain, posing a risk to travellers and employees. Additionally, airport smoking rooms do not effectively contain secondhand smoke, allowing it to spread throughout the building. This puts individuals at risk of the long-term health effects of secondhand smoke exposure, including an increased risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.
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Frequently asked questions
It depends on the airport. Most airports in the United States are completely smoke-free, but there are still a few US airports where you can smoke, including Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Outside of the US, there are smoking lounges at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, and at the airport in Mumbai, India.
Yes, as of 2024, nearly all US hub airports are 100% smoke-free indoors, including Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, and Newark. Internationally, many airports are now 100% smoke-free, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Bangkok. Among the 50 busiest airports worldwide, 23 (46%) prohibit smoking in all indoor areas.
Some alternatives to smoking include vaping and nicotine gum.
Yes, websites such as AirportSmokers.com provide information on where to smoke at airports, including smoking lounges, smoking terraces, and smoking rooms.
