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STATEMENT BY SENATOR FRANK. R. LA~TENBERG BEFORE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE~ SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION OCTOBER 7, 1987 ; SMOKING IN THE AIRLINER CABIN MR, CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU TODAY TO DISCUSS THIS IMPORTANT HEALTH AND AVIATION ISSUE. | COMMEND YOU FOR HOLDING THIS HEARING. RECENTLY, ON AN AIRPLANE BOUND FROM BOSTON TO WASHINGTON, THE ~ILOT MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT WHICH SPARKED APPLAUSE FROM THE PASSENGERS. WHAT DID HE SAY? WERE FHEY GOING TO LAND ON SCHEDULE, OR. EVEN EARLY? NO. HE SIMPLY SAID THAF IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE PASSENGERSWHO HAD REQUESTED SEATS IN THE NONSMOKING SECTION, H~ WAS MAKING THE ENTIRE PLANE NONSMOKIN~. WHY SUCH A REACTION? WAS THIS A PLANELOAD OF ANTI-SMOKING ZEALOTS? ] THINK NOT. [ IH[NK THE PASSENGERS KNEW THAT IN THE CLOSE CONFINES OF AN AIRPLANE CABIN, CIGARETTE SMOKE IRRITATES. THEIR EYES, NOSE, AND THROATS SUFFER AS SOON AS THE NO SMOKING SIGN GOES OFF. - " " AND SCIENTIFIC STUDIES SHOW THAT NONSMOKING PASSENGERS HAVE GOOD REASON TO BE CONCERNED. THE 1986 REPORT OF THE SURGEON GENERAL MAKES TWO IMPORTANT FINDINGS:. T10045-1334

AN AIRLINER CABIN PRESENTS SOME UNIQUE 09STACLES TO PROTECTION FROH INDOOR AiR ~OLLUTION- YOU CAN~O~ OPEN A WINDOW iN AN AIRPLANE TO LET OUT THE SHOKE AND LET IN FRESH AiR. CABIN AiR IS A MIX OF OUTSIDE AIR AND REC~RCULATED AXRo THE NEWER THE A[RCRAFT~ THE HORE FUEL EFFICIENT`" THE LESS OUTSIDE A~R IN THE CABIN- CURRENTLY ABOUT ~0 PERCENT OF AIR PASSENGERS ARE ON PLANES W~TH RECIRCULATION SYSTEMSJ BY 1990`" TH~S WILL INCREASE TO ~0 PERCENT. THE RECIRCULATED AIR CA~I BE -FILTERED TO REHOVE SOME OF FHE CONTAMINANTS SUCH" AS LINI" AND GASEOUS TARS FROM CIGARETTE SMOKE,, BUT NOT ENOUGH. FEw AIRPLANES HAVE THE NECESSARY FILTERS OR MAINTAIN THEM IN PRIME CONDITION. FURTHERMORE, THE TARS AND LINT CAN AFFECI SO~E AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS. CERTAIN PANS HAVE BEEN SO C~)NTAMINATED WITH TOBACCO TARS THAT FAN BLADES STICK TO THEIR HOUS~N3. AIRLINER MAINTENANCE WORKERS BELIEVE THAT THIS CONTAMINAFION ADDS CONSIDERABLY TO MAINTENANCE COSTS. As THE CABIN AIR IS RECIRCULATED~ THE AIR FROM SMOKING AND " NONSMOKING AREAS IS MIXED. NONSMOKERS ARE NOT REALLY PROTECTED FROM THE CONTAMINATED AIR OF SMOKERS. AND THE SMOKE TENDS TO BE RELEASED INTO THE CABIN AIR IN BURSTS---EACH TIME THE CAPTAIN TURNS OFF "THE NO SMOKING SIGN AS WELL AS EACH TIME BEVERAGES" OR FOOD IS SERVED. Ti0045-1335

FORTY STATES.~ND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HAVE ENACTED LAWS PLACING LIMITATIONS ON SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES," MY OWN STATE OF NEW JERSEY HAS ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE SETS OF LIMITATIONS, INCLUDING A'REQUIREMENT FOR EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE NONSMOKING AREAS IN THE WORKPLACE. "THE CHAIRMAN'S STATE (CALIFORNIA) HAS JUST ADOPTED A LAW THAT BANS SMOKING ON INTRASTATE AIRPLANE FLIGHTS, SORE AIRLINES ALSO SEE A NO SMOKING POLICY CAN BE GO0~ BUSINESS- AIR CANADA, AFTER A SUCCESSFUL TRIAL PERIOD, HAS MADE PERMANENT A BAN ON SMOKING ON FLIGHTS TO TORONTO AND MONTREAL FROM LAGUARDIA, AND TO TORONTO FROM NEWARK. ABOUT HALF THE [NTERNAL CANADIAN FLIGHTS OF LESS THAN 2 HOURS ARE ALSO NONSMOKING, SALES HAVE GONE UP ON THE ROU'IES USING NO SMOKING FLIGHTS. CANADIAN AIRLINES INFERNArlUNAL [5 NOW TESFING A NO SMOKING POLICY ON SO~E OF .IIS PLANES. AFTER CONSIDERING ALL THIS EVIDENCE, I HAVE PROPOSED A THREE YEAR ~AN ON SMOKING ON ALL DOMESTIC FLIGHFS. OF ~ HOURS OR LESS. ~Y PROPOSAL ALSO INCLUDES KEAVY PENALTIES FOR PASSENGERS WHO TAMPER ~ITH THE FAA-REQUIRED SMOKE ALARMS [N THE.9~LAVATORIES. THE PROVISION IS NECESSARY fO PREVENT THE POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD OF SECRET SMOKING 1N THE BATHROOM. [ AM PLEASED TO SAY THAT M~ PROPOSAL WAS APPROVED ~Y THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE LAST WEEK. T!0045-1336