Q: What is the logic behind the smoking rooms at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport? Are they eventually going to be removed? Most airports in the U.S. are totally nonsmoking.
— Ed Parkinson, Atlanta
A: There are no plans to close the airport's smoking lounges. The smoking lounges are provided because Hartsfield-Jackson "strives to meet the needs of all of its guests without infringing upon the comfort of others," airport spokeswoman Monica Fuentes told Q&A on the News in an email. They are equipped with high-velocity fans that keep the smoke from entering other areas of the airport. "The smoking rooms are also designed to protect the health of our nonsmoking guests," she wrote. Travelers with connecting flights can't go outside to smoke for security reasons. "As an airport operator, we know that smokers, even when prohibited, will find a way to smoke, albeit discreetly, in the circulation areas of nonsmokers, such as restrooms, stairwells and the airport's entryways — if these smoking rooms are not made available to them," Fuentes wrote. Hartsfield-Jackson was one of five of the nation's 29 largest airports that allowed smoking in 2012, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Washington Dulles International Airport, McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Denver International Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport were the others.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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