Although smoking and “vaping” are currently restricted to specially designated smoking rooms and other certain specific areas of the international airport which serves the greater Atlanta metropolitan area, an ordinance for a broad and complete ban will be in effect as of Thursday, January 2, 2020 — meaning that those smoking rooms on the concourses will be closed.
Atlanta to Ban Smoking Completely at Its International Airport in 2020. I Support It.
After members of the city council voted 13-2 in favor of the ordinance on Monday, July 1, 2019, legislation was signed by Keisha Lance Bottoms — who is the current mayor of the city of Atlanta — to ban smoking and “vaping” not only at the airport; but also in restaurants, bars, places of employment, hotel rooms and motel rooms, and numerous other enclosed public places within the city.
“Smoking was already restricted by a Georgia law passed in 2005, which prohibited smoking in restaurants and bars unless minors are banned or smoking areas are in private rooms with independent air-flow systems, or outdoors”, according to this article written by Kelly Yamanouchi of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “However, smoking will still be permitted in outdoor seating and serving areas of restaurants and bars.
Smokers who are passengers on flights connecting in Atlanta will have to exit the secure area of the airport during their layovers to use a designated smoking area outside of the terminal. Once they are finished smoking, they must return through the security checkpoint to be screened prior to returning to the concourses to continue on to their destinations.
Despite opposition at the meetings of the city council in Atlanta by restaurateurs and others, advocates claim that the protection of the public health is the reason for their support of this ordinance; and that “other places around the country have already adopted similar smoke-free ordinances.”
Summary
I never understood how or why someone in this day and age would even consider wanting to voluntarily start smoking or “vaping” — especially with all of the concerns pertaining not only to the health of smokers; but also the health of those who breathe second-hand smoke.
I have heard people say that they did not know about the full ramifications of smoking cigarettes when they were still considered cool; when they were smoked by celebrities; and when they were advertised freely in all sorts of media — yet my grandfather once told me that his doctor told him that he needed to stop smoking cigarettes due to health reasons. He subsequently quit smoking. That was in the year 1930.
Some people are allergic to cigarette smoke. They should not have to endure it at any time.
I seem to be one of those people who is a “magnet” of sorts for smokers and their cigarette smoke. If I am standing outside of a terminal at an airport to wait for a shuttle bus, I try to stay away from the standalone ash trays — but a smoker almost always sidles up beside me to light one up. A corollary is that I am always downwind from the smoke of a smoker — no matter where I move.
Forget about the health concerns. I cannot stand breathing in the second-hand smoke of a smoker. It is an uncomfortable feeling at best which causes me to cough.
I know people who have died from lung cancer due to smoking.
I agree with Matthew Klint that smoking is “a disgusting and expensive habit with horrific health ramifications”, according to this article which was posted at Live and Let’s Fly — but that is where my agreement with him ends. He is opposed to the ordinance. I fully support it. To my knowledge, smoking serves no beneficial purpose other than for retailers and manufacturers to profit financially; and other people should not have to suffer from second-hand smoke as a result.
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
