Banning smoking in public places is a serious problem for many smokers. Someone will decide to quit a bad habit under the influence of the difficulties that have arisen, and someone stubbornly follows it, even when experiencing inconvenience. It can be especially difficult for people to cope with the implementation of the rule not to smoke on an airplane. What are the reasons for this ban? - they are perplexed. In fact, there are reasons, and they are quite serious.
Why are cigarettes on board an airplane dangerous?
According to official statements from airlines, there are two main reasons for banning smoking on board. The first is fire safety. It is known that a non-extinguished cigarette often causes fires in apartments and industrial premises, and in hazardous production such an oversight can even lead to a real disaster. Imagine if a fire occurs in the cabin of an aircraft while it is in the air?
If you look at the statistics on plane crashes of the past, then you will find confirmation of these fears: fires, of course, were not the main reason that planes crashed, but still fires and crashes caused by cigarettes did happen. And if such a danger can be eliminated, it should, of course, be done.
The second reason is that the smoker interferes with the comfort of those around him. Secondhand smoke, according to research, is no less harmful than active smoke. In addition, even if a "smoking room" is specially equipped in the cabin of the aircraft, where people can indulge in their bad habit, then they will still return to the cabin, and the smell of nicotine will follow them for a long time. There are many non-smokers who cannot stand tobacco aroma at all.
The history of smoking bans on airplanes
The smoking ban was first introduced by Ronald Reagan, the American president, in 1988. He signed an act that banned smoking on all domestic flights. In the same year, American airlines banned smoking on board their aircraft and on international flights.
The vast majority of passengers, despite a certain number of dissatisfied, liked this idea, and soon European airlines began to prohibit smoking.
In Russia, a law banning smoking on board aircraft was adopted in 2002. However, not everyone follows this rule. Some people go to the toilet, where, using various tricks, they try to neutralize the smoke detector in order to smoke a cigarette. Most airlines penalize violators of the ban if they can be found, and the amount of fines is very large. In some countries, violations of this rule may even be brought to administrative responsibility.
Can i smoke electronic cigarettes?
It is known that electronic cigarettes are absolutely harmless to others, and they are also fireproof. However, there are no uniform rules for airlines that would regulate this. For example, Aeroflot prohibits electronic cigarettes, Transaero allows them. But it is best to clarify this point before takeoff, since sometimes the final decision is made by the ship's commander or crew.
Toilet fire devices do not respond to e-cigarettes. If the airline has a ban on electronic cigarettes, then the violator of the rules can still be fined.
