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Senate Panel Bans Smoking on Short Domestic Flights

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Associated Press

The Senate Transportation appropriations subcommittee today approved legislation that would ban smoking on all domestic airline flights of two hours or less.

“We feel this is the opportunity to deal with the problem,” said Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.), chairman of the subcommittee.

“The worst place of all for non-smoking passengers and flight personnel alike is the cramped confines of an airline cabin,” Lautenberg said in a prepared statement. “There’s no escaping the smoke at 32,000 feet.”

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The panel unanimously adopted the measure and the full Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider it Thursday. The House has already passed it.

Lautenberg’s restrictions cover 80% of all domestic airline flights and would last for three years.

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