LANSING, MICH. – As the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) Authority considers allowing smoking in the airport, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) recently commissioned a nationwide poll to see how people feel about smoking in airports.
There is strong support for smoke-free policies in U.S. airports. More than 8 in 10 (81%) support policies prohibit people from smoking cigarettes, cigars, or cannabis, using e-cigarettes or vaping inside of airports. 92% of air travelers surveyed agree that people have the right to breathe clean air in airports and that we need to keep airports smoke-free. Furthermore, 75% of air travelers oppose airports reversing policies and allowing people to smoke, vape, or use e-cigarettes in specific areas within airports, which is what DTW would do if a new business that would allow cigar smoking in the airport is approved.
The risks of secondhand smoke top the list of reasons why most (77%) survey respondents (including those not defined as air travelers) oppose U.S. airports allowing smoking, vaping and using e-cigarettes in airports. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, which contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including hundreds that are toxic and approximately 70 that can cause cancer, including formaldehyde, arsenic, benzene (found in gasoline) and cadmium (used in making batteries).
More than 19,000 people die from exposure to secondhand smoke each year in the U.S. Adults who do not smoke and are exposed to secondhand smoke increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20-30%.
There are now at least 635 smoke-free airports in the U.S. As of January 1, 2026, 32 of the 35 busiest U.S. airports have smoke-free indoor air policies, including Detroit Wayne County Airport.
As the DTW Airport Authority prepares to meet tomorrow, ACS CAN urges the Authority to protect travelers' and airport workers' health by rejecting proposals for any new business that would permit smoking in the airport and keep DTW smoke-free.
