Smoking e-cigarettes on airplanes was so commonplace, at one point they were being handed out for free on commercial airliners. However, recent developments may make smoking e-cigs on planes not allowed. The US Department of Transportation plans to ban smoking e-cigarettes on planes as early as this spring. Their reasoning behind this ban isn’t entirely clear and many smokers are viewing it as blindly ignorant legislation. They have issued statements to major airliners of their intentions, some of which have decided to enact this legislation in advance.
It’s important that e-cigarette smokers stay on top of recent developments which are regulating and deregulating e-cigarette starter kits. Just last week a study was released stating that e-cigarettes deserve further investigation as smoking cessation devices. However, this recent news is definitely a blow to the e-cigarette community which has found solace in their freedom to smoke anywhere and everywhere. Though this ban will slightly limit the range of places e-cigarettes are accepted, you can still smoke them in restaurants, bars, and most work environments.
Opinions are mixed on this ban. Most e-cigarettes companies see it as ignorance on the part of the US Department of Transportation. Electronic cigarette do not produce smoke which is the main reason cigarette were banned on airplanes decades ago. The best possible reason they can provide for banning the product on airplanes would be the confusion caused by people who think they are smoking a real cigarette. With how touchy airplane regulations can be, I guess that would suffice. It’s a disappointment for the e-cigarette community but hopefully as more is researched and discovered about the product, the public will grow to accept its better qualities.
There is still no update on New York State’s proposed ban of e-cigarettes. But at this time e-cigs are very much legal to smoke in New York’s public places. Electronic cigarettes continue to dominate headlines for good and bad reasons. But at least the e-cigarette community is getting to have its say on these developments and people are learning about these incredible products.
