American Notes: AIRLINES

"The captain has turned off the no smoking sign" are words that will no & longer be heard on most U.S. planes. In 1988 a congressional ban on smoking aboard flights lasting less than two hours took effect. Now legislators have reached an agreement to forbid smoking on all commercial flights within the continental U.S. and on flights of six hours or less between the mainland and Alaska and Hawaii. The legislation, which is expected to pass both the House and Senate, also applies to foreign airlines for any part of their flights within the U.S. Flight attendants worried about their own health, and many airline executives happy to get rid of the hassle of separating smokers and nonsmokers, approved the ban. After this latest loss, the tobacco industry is using its declining clout to try to stop an increase in the cigarette tax and a ban on smoking in public places.