CDC Report: Smoking Areas At Five Major US Airports Pose Health Risk To Non-Smokers.

According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, five major US airports with designated smoking areas do not have sufficient ventilation to mitigate the risks of second-hand smoke to non-smoking passengers.

USA Today (11/20, Koch, Today) reports that the new CDC report warns that “ventilation at five major US airports with designated smoking areas does not protect passengers from the health risks of secondhand smoke.” The report finds that “pollution levels adjacent (within a meter or 39 inches) to smoking areas are five times higher than levels at airports that entirely ban smoking.” Tim McAfee, director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, explains that “These are unnecessary dangers for airport employees and passengers.” The airports named in the report are: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Denver International Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport.

HealthDay (11/21) reports that “in 2011, about 15 percent of all US air travel took place at these five airports, accounting for more than 110 million passenger boardings.”

Also covering the story are Reuters (11/21, Beasley), the Salt Lake (UT) Tribune, (11/21, Davidson) the Denver Post (11/21, Raabe), and the Las Vegas Sun (11/20).

Related Links:

— “CDC: Airports that allow smoking pose health risks, “Wendy Koch, USA TODAY, November 20, 2012.

Posted in In The News.