The Nation - News from June 21, 1989

Both smokers and nonsmokers favor the ban of smoking on short-haul airline flights, an anti-smoking group said. The tobacco industry said the group’s survey of 27,000 passengers at 66 airports in 33 states was flawed. The American Assn. of Respiratory Care announced the results of its April survey at a Washington news conference with several House members who said they would support legislation to extend the ban to all flights or at least make the present limited ban permanent. The law bans smoking on flights of two hours or less until April, 1990. The survey results showed a bare majority, 51.7%, of smokers supporting a permanent ban, and an overwhelming majority, 91.1%, of nonsmokers in favor.