"Mom, someone is smoking here": Passengers at Ben Gurion Airport complain about the smell of cigarettes
Passengers at Ben Gurion Airport claim that smoke and the smell of cigarettes from the smoking room are penetrating the waiting area due to the frequent opening of the door. "It is impossible to ignore the smell here," says a passenger who quit smoking a few years ago. Another passenger: "Whoever wants to smoke should smoke, but why should I have to suffer from it?"
Passengers who have passed through Ben Gurion Airport in recent days are complaining about a sharp smell of cigarettes penetrating from the smoking rooms into the passenger area. According to them, the door separating the smoking rooms from the rest of the space opens frequently, causing smoke and odor to disperse in the area where families and children are also waiting.
"I am waiting here with the children and suddenly my daughter says to me: 'Mom, someone is smoking here'," says Mila, a passenger who was waiting at the location. "I look around and suddenly realize that the space where they are supposed to smoke is open. The smell is just coming out."
Noa, who was also waiting in the area, says the smell affected her waiting experience. "It's just terrible. Whoever wants to smoke should smoke, but why should I have to suffer from it? I came to enjoy myself," she says.
Nissim, who quit smoking a few years ago, says that for him, it was hard to miss the smell of cigarettes. "I am very sensitive to the subject. It is impossible to ignore the smell here. You are going on vacation and usually it is very pleasant at Ben Gurion Airport. This time it was both smelly and really hot here, as if they hadn't heard of air conditioning. It's a pity that tourists from abroad experience such a dubious pleasure."
Beyond the nuisance of the smell, the penetration of cigarette smoke into spaces where non-smokers are present also raises a health issue. Secondhand cigarette smoke contains harmful substances, and therefore the recommendation is to avoid exposure to it as much as possible — certainly when it comes to children, who are considered more sensitive to its effects.
Closed smoking rooms are supposed to allow smokers to smoke in a designated area, while reducing the exposure of other passengers to smoke. However, when the door is opened again and again and the smell is felt outside the room, passengers argue that the actual separation is insufficient.
We contacted the Israel Airports Authority for a response regarding the passengers' complaints and the proper functioning of the ventilation in the area. Their response will be provided when received.
