No question this question could be seen as controversial by many people and I wish that every smoker could finally quit smoking however I feel this is a point worth exploring. Just a few weeks ago I was transferring via Heathrow Airport, however was held up for 1 day and needed to stay in a hotel. I spotted a few smokers in front of the terminal and being in no hurry to grab a shuttle bound for my assigned hotel I thought I may as well ask each of them their stance on the anti-smoking laws in airport terminals. Their answers were to the point and well thought out.
Each stated they had no problems coping with the anti-smoking laws in their everyday lives and find absolutely no hassle in stepping out for a cigarette at resteraunts, bars, or at work, and so on. But they did not like the fact that there is no place in the secure areas at airports and I started to understand.
I was informed by almost all to consider the fact that they might have had to take long flight and then transfering to long flight. Therefore if they wanted to stepping out to have a cigarette they were confronted with a bit if a problem. First thing leave the secure area as well as they may have to pass through passport and border control. Then a place to smoke has to be sorted out. Then after they were finished they need to navigate through security before accessing the departure area and perhaps again facing passport and border control, all the while carrying their carry-on luggage with them.
I started thinking, why isn't there a section for smokers in the departure lounge like before? There are and were some excellent examples to look at having good air exchange systems plus negative air pressure. These were so good that you had to be sitting facing them to smell the smoke. Or better yet could be to construct an outdoor smoking area. On one of my trips I transfered through the Miami Airport I noticed a quite novel place to smoke inside the departure area. It was an atrium outdoors but still inside the secure area of the departure lounge. Thus couldn't we erect something like this such as a balcony?
As international airports are a different situation and totally unlike run-of the mill, daily life maybe we should give the smokers a little leeway in this case?
What do you think, cast your vote on could we quit smoking bans at the larger airports.
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