WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is proposing a ban on the use of electronic cigarettes by airline passengers, saying there is a concern they may be harmful.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says in a statement that the ban would “enhance passenger comfort” and reduce any confusion about whether passengers may use electronic cigarettes in flight.
Electronic cigarettes are designed to deliver nicotine or other substances to the smoker in the form of a vapor.
The ban would clarify an existing Transportation Department rule prohibiting smoking cigarettes or similar products on airline flights.
The proposal would apply to all domestic airline flights, as well as scheduled flights of U.S. and foreign carriers to and from the U.S. The department is also considering whether to extend the ban to charter flights.
