smoking in airports, why the push to get it banned everywhere?

Question

i travel alot, and i have been dissapointed by the number of airports with no smoking inside. specifically, the major hubs seem to be first to ban it. i see two major problems with this:

1) most airports doing it are hubs, meaning most people going through them are on connecting flights. if just one person in 10 goes outside to smoke, you are increasing the workload on TSA security checkpoints by thousands of people per day.

2)health risks to others.... that's right i'm a smoker who thinks others should not have to breath my smoke. i think there should be no smoking in bars resteraunts or hotels. the old way had sealled rooms with seperate ventilation, protecting non-smokers. now people go outside and people walking in and out of the airport are forced to be near them. by taking the war against smokers to this extreme in airports, the point of non-smoking bans has been lost, and the health risks to others has been increased.

any thoughts?

Answer 1

I am extremely anti-smoking, but I think you have a great point and I totally agree with you! They should have the sealed-up rooms for the smokers in airports. It's not that I have any sympathy whatsoever for smokers (because I most certainly don't), but I do see your point about the workload on the security checkpoints! That creates a lot of unnecessary traffic at those checkpoints. I also agree that most non-smokers like myself don't want to walk past of bunch of smokers standing by the main entrances to the airport. I believe the Salt Lake City airport still has the sealed smoking rooms, which is surprising to me, as Utah is so very anti-smoking. You make an excellent point though, and I agree with you 100%!!!

Answer 2

i think the smoking ban is silly and unfortunate. but so is the multitude of rules regarding air travel these days... like outlawing lighters. i'm not certain what kind of damage can be done with a little lighter... at the same time, they allow matches -- so what exactly is the rule supposed to be enforcing or protecting against? the liquid rule is so silly -- i've seen people at security check, gulping down their bottles of water so it won't be confiscated. my thinking is, if someone is willing to down half a bottle of liquid in front of security, then it probably isn't ammonia, toxic fluids, or liquid bombs. yet they blindly enforce it anyway. as for the smoking ban, all airports have these announcements to "smoke in designated areas only"... but in reality, the only designated area is outside, and never inside. it's a huge waste of time to have to go out then come back in through security. european airports are so much better with this; they always have numerous smoking lounges within the airport. i find it hard to believe that something so simple can't be done in the US. some people might scuff at the idea, but the truth is, the same illogical laws can (and are starting to) be applied to anything (e.g., the no liquid rule). pretty soon, we won't be able to bring anything other than clothes to airports: batteries in electronic devices can be rigged to explode, pencils/pens can be used to stab people, women's high heels will be declared potential weapons because of their pointy heels, etc. it's sad really, but i do see that happening.

Answer 3

Just quit smoking, if you think it'll get better for smokers you;re wrong. I'm not a smoker, my Dad is, and he feels pretty much the same way you do about it. I tell him, well stop being so stubborn, if you don't like the no smoking rules, quit smoking.

How hard can it possibly be to quit? A friend of mine I work with, just quit, he used no patches, no aids of any kind to stop, he just made the decision and quit. It's all about willpower, there are those weak-willed who will always smoke, like my father, and those who are strong enough to realize when something is ruling their life, taking away alot of money, and generally making other people suffer from the habit.

So what if airports don't let you smoke in their hub, making excuses about how security will need to do more work is an excuse on your part as a smoker. The choice is yours when it comes to smoking, but it's not your choice at the expense of others who don't like it.

Answer 4

I agree with you 100%, I think the reason for this mess is simply liberals mob rule mentality. Democrats have no respect or reverence for individual freedoms we used to take for granted. Now big government must do the thinking for you.

Answer 5

I agree with you. I don't like this kind of ban. Either they make tobacco illegal, or let people smoke in certain places. Pretty soon it'll be illegal to chew gum like in Singapore. How boring is that?

Answer 6

People were probably getting complaints from it.