Air Flight, Tobacco and Alcohol — the Flight of reason September 3, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Air Tickets, Airlines, Destination, Flight Schedule, Round The World , trackbackShould passengers be allowed to smoke, should they be allowed to imbibe alcohol during flight? These questions pose considerable problems for passengers themselves, for aircrew and for airline management. There are strong and valid arguments against their case; on the other hand users may feel discriminated against and deprived of their “rights”. Trying to balance these points of view is becoming more of an issue by the day in general life, never mind in the confines of an airliner cabin. Let’s tray to put the issue in perspective — the perspective of you, the passenger, in a crowded aircraft.
Smoking first. Following a worldwide trend to ban smoking in public places, many airlines have banned smoking completely on all flights. There is worldwide legislation in the pipeline that will shortly ban smoking on all flights. So the issue of whether or not to implement a “no-smoking” policy has been taken out of the hands of airline management.
Smokers feel discriminated against by this ban. In addition, the addictive effects of nicotine result in a smoker finding it difficult to endure even a short flight without a cigarette. This may result in irritability and an increase in stress and many incidents of in-flight aggression (”Air Rage”) have been attributed to this stress build-up. Even though smoking in aircraft toilets is very dangerous, many desperate passengers resort to taking an illicit cigarette in a toilet in the middle of the night, sometimes successfully disabling or even damaging the smoke warning in the toilet.
What is the rationale behind the ban? The “rights” of non-smokers, the hazards of passive smoking and the general rejection of smoking in public places by authorities is well documented and will not be discussed at length here. However, let’s consider the environment of an aircraft cabin. The “Something Technical” dealt with, amongst other things, the pressurisation of the cabin. Air is forced by the engines into the cabin through the air-conditioners and released through “outflow valves” situated at the front and/or rear of the aircraft. The interior pressure is monitored and controlled throughout the flight for very good reasons.
On a flight to Las Palmas the cabin pressure gave the flight crew some trouble. During a service check on the ground it was revealed that the outflow valve and air-conditioners were clogged by tar and nicotine, the by-products of smoking. When the thick, black, gummy substance was scraped off, it filled a shoe-box. Until smoking was banned, regular maintenance was required to rid the air conditioning and air flow ducting of tobacco smoke residue.
The discomfort to non-smokers in a smoke-filled environment is compounded by the relatively poor circulation of air in the cabin. In most large airliners not all of the cabin air goes out through the outflow valves. A certain percentage of the air is re-circulated, adding to the problem of passenger and crew discomfort.
While the contamination of the air-conditioning system poses a problem, it was vital flight safety problems more than anything else that forced the issue of smoking into legislation. A great number of aircraft have been severely damaged and many lives lost through fire caused by smoking. Cigarette or pipe embers tossed carelessly into paper- filled waste bins in toilets have caused fires and the consequent loss of aircraft. Damage to interior furnishings caused by poorly extinguished cigarettes was common. The dangers associated with an in- flight fire are so obvious that legislation banning smoking became inevitable.
Alcohol abuse poses a different kind of problem, but it can still be a hazard to safe flight. While the use of alcohol is a different problem, its abuse by passengers can still pose a hazard to safe flight. While most passengers are able to enjoy their favourite tipple without causing any disruption to the order in the cabin, alcohol abuse is regularly cited in reports of “air rage”. Damage to aircraft, injuries to other passengers and crew, even loss of life, have been reported and there is increasing concern that there might be future legislation to ban alcohol on board as well.
The stimulating (and depressing) effects of alcohol are well understood and quite commonly seen in everyday life. During flight the effects of alcohol are amplified by the thinness or “rarity” of the cabin air at cruising altitude. Add to this the ingredients of a confined space, boredom, stress, nervousness, possible personality disorders and nicotine deprivation and you have just cooked up a rather explosive main course! There are numerous reports of passengers having to be restrained, tranquillised and even off-loaded at en-route airports!
Air Law is very clear on the issue of safety in flight. The Captain of an aircraft has the right to restrain any person proving to be a risk to the safe operation of the flight. He or she also has the right to land at a scheduled or unscheduled airport and have the offending passenger arrested. The law will also deal severely with such an offender, but this does not help the passengers on the flight!
Less dangerous but unpleasant side-effects of over-indulgence affect fellow passengers and add to the stress of flying. Passengers may be subjected to the inappropriate behaviour and even foul language of a drunk person or group of passengers having a party — the major problem for the victims being that they can’t “escape”. Refusing to serve more alcohol to an offensive passenger can often escalate the problem and cabin crews will always find it difficult to resolve this type of conflict in flight.
Fortunately most flights pass uneventfully. The service continues without major problems and the many smokers on board are able to endure the discomfort of a few nicotine-free hours without causing havoc. The average passenger presents no problems and enjoys flying in the knowledge that the bar service on board is for those splendid people to whom drinking in moderation is a pleasure; those who reach contentment before capacity, who can take it, hold it, enjoy it and above all, remain well-behaved. The vast majority of passengers are able to enjoy a few glasses of their favourite drink and arrive with nothing more debilitating than a case of jet lag!
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