The Nation - News from March 8, 1989

Two senators introduced legislation to ban cigarette smoking on all domestic flights, a bill that received the endorsement of Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. The measure would expand the current prohibition against smoking, which covers flights of two hours or less and is due to expire in April, 1990. “The time has come to protect the health and safety of all airline passengers,” said Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.), who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah). At the senators’ news conference to announce the move, Koop said such a ban is “long overdue.”