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Subscribe to RSSAttention, smokers: Nicotine withdrawal can land you in the slammer. At least, it did for one passenger who became unruly after being told he could not smoke an electronic cigarette during a flight.
Pogos Paul Sefilian of Sandy, Utah, was arrested and jailed on Monday night, according to a report in the Daily Mail. The 42-year-old was traveling from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City on Southwest Airlines. According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday, Sefilian argued with a flight attendant who told him repeatedly to put away his e-cigarette.
Electronic cigarettes are devices that heat a vapor to be inhaled rather than smoked.
An angry Sefilian reportedly threw peanuts and pretzels at the flight attendant and, as the flight was approaching Salt Lake City, stood up and began opening overhead compartments.
According to the complaint, a flight attendant made six attempts to get Sefilian to sit down, but he would not comply. When the airplane arrived in Salt Lake City, FBI agents met the plane and arrested Sefilian, who was charged with interfering with a flight crew.
"Passengers can bring e-cigarettes on board the aircraft, but they cannot use them in flight," said Marilee McInnis, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines. "This passenger did not obey instructions not to use the cigarettes and so the authorities were called."
Cigarette smoking on commercial aircraft is banned by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the agency considers e-cigarettes to part of that ban. In a June 17, 2010, Senate committee hearing, a DOT representative said that “[W]e plan to further address this matter ... to explicitly ban smoking of electronic cigarettes aboard aircraft.”
According to spokesperson Bill Mosley, DOT “has not yet issued the proposed rule.”
Other stories you might like:
- Mom gets layover in jail after yelling at TSA
- Woman escorted off flight after snapping photo
- What will get you kicked off US Airways? Saggy pants or underpants?
Find more by Harriet Baskas on Stuck at The Airport.com and follow her on Twitter.
Leave a Comment:
but .. but .. according to liberals everywhere, drugs should be legal!
Legal doesn't mean allowed or legal in every place. For example, it's legal to drive a car. It's not legal to drive a car inside a grocery store or into the airport. Typical conservative.... unable to properly use logic and reason to come to a conclusion....
Most of your continuing smokers aren't PETA members and tree huggers. It's generally the red state brand that wishes this vice to remain legal. Kind of odd logic you present, though I doubt it or my conclusion carries much weight though.
What part of I dont give a crap about your no smoking rules, nad why Is a safe e cig not allowed
What B S
@ ho fat
What's a liberal? Do you believe that people join a liberal 'club' and therefore all have the same opinion? Only an idiot would want to legalize ALL drugs. Some 'drugs', such as alcohol and cocaine create addictions and harm the body and other people. Other 'drugs' such as marijuana, are quite relaxing and peaceful. Am I a liberal or not? Could I care less? Stick your brand of social classifying under a rock and leave it there, please.
@ Our Exalted Governmental Leaders
As for e-cigs, they're great! Of all the horrible things government does, letting cigarettes be legal is the worst. I hate the addiction. It's a horrible thing. PLEASE outlaw them and save us from ourselves!
And in the meantime, oh mighty government, get your hands out of Big Tobacco's pockets for a moment, and remind yourself of your purpose. To HELP YOUR CITIZENS. Have you promoted e-cigs? Made them available for free? Or have you done your best to keep them away from the public, and now off of airplanes.
Why? Because they look like a cigarette? If I put a photo of a cigarette in my mouth, is that illegal too? When and why did you decide that logic and good sense are no longer needed in this world?
You'll pollute, harm and destroy our earth, country and people through Big Pharma, Tobacco and Oil, but you won't even make the time to at least balance your grievous wrongs with some simple, correct policies. Is there really any reason for government; wouldn't we be better off to just go it on our own?
That's right, blame the liberals. There's a difference between smoking pot in the privacy of your own home and smoking anything on an airplane.
This is like saying that conservatives want to bring guns on planes.
Flaunting no smoking rules is more libertarian (conservative or republican) than liberal. Plus, how many liberals are there from Sandy, Utah?
ho fat, with respect, you are mistaken about all drugs. Most pot smokers are Democrats/Liberals, and so liberal support legalization of marijuana. Smokers, on the other hand, statistically tend to be conservative and Republican, who are certainly worthy of no protection (even though smokers are paying gazillions of tax dollars into the public kitty with all those cigarette taxes). Though I do not see this as relevant to this particular story ... it is a plane .... use the gum, or buy your own plane.
I don't see the big deal. E-cigarettes are smokeless. It's not smoking. In fact, it's a device used to help quit smoking. Just because it looks like a cigarette doesn't mean it is. It's harmless to everyone around.
It's ridiculous to ban the use of a smokeless cigarettes. By this definition an asthmatic should sit there and sufffer since a vapor inhaler is considered smoking
The difference is ... an inhaler for an asthmatic can be a life-saving device. An e-cig for a nicotine addict isn't.
He should learn to chew nicotine gum on the flight and get over it. The man acted like a 3 year old and deserved what he got. When I smoked, I would endure the flight without a cigarette. It's just right not to subject those who don't smoke to your smoke in a small, crowded plane. I know it's just vapor, but please. Is the man so immature he can't control himself for a few hours? Chew some gum for God's sake and don't be a baby.
He could have just gone and used it in the bathroom if he needed a hit that bad.
I agree with Randi...I have no experience with E-cigs, but if they only emit water vapor, then shouldn't he be able to get away with a quick bathroom use?
Maybe he wanted everyone on the plane to see how classy he is =P
lol! "look at how classy I am!!!" *throws peanuts and pretzels at flight attendant*
Any man of class would be outraged by low quality snack food.
If you can't hold off on a cigarette on a short flight between LA and SLC then you have a major addiction. Learn to use patches or drive it yourself.
If thats your only answer then Your the one who is addicted
To B S
They produce nicotine vapors. Damn right they shouldn't be allowed on a plane. I wouldn't want to sit next to a guy smoking them.
That aside, getting up when you're not allowed, and ignoring calls to sit down 6 times should get you jailed.
guees I will take some snuff or chewing tobacco on my next flight.LEGAL IT IS
While I am very much in favor of smoking bans in public areas, I couldn't care less if you dip snuff or chew tobacco. It sounds and looks nasty, but I can put in ear plugs or look the other way. As long as you don't spit on me (which would be assault), it's no matter to me one way or the other.
What you don't seem to understand is that cigarette smoke is not merely an allergen, but it can trigger serious health issues for people. I got a nasty case of bronchitis the last time I was dumb enough to turn a corner and take a deep breath before looking to see if there were smokers--there were, and I got a lungful of smoke, a week of illness, a visit to the doctor, and a $75 bill for the visit and drugs.
While the nicotine in an eCig might be suspended in water vapor and not have any smoke particles to it, that doesn't mean it won't trigger problems for people. I don't think that there have been any studies yet on the effects upon people with allergies or upon small children. Until one knows if it is safe, I don't think that it is a good idea to be doing an experiment on asthmatics, the deathly allergic, and small children at tens of thousands of feet where one would have the teeniest problem accessing medical care.
And, if you are dumb enough to believe the manufacturer's description of the product--I've got some swamp land in Florida to sell you.
But, snuff is fine and chewing tobacco is fine and nicotine gum is fine and nicotine candy is fine--nicotine patches are fine--I hope that others would understand (I certainly would) that you need a fix. Just don't take the chance that you will cause a fatal issue for someone else simply because you need that fix. Kthanxbye.
It's vapor. Pretty much the same thing as standing in a shower and breathing. There's really no need to do studies since we pretty much know the effects of vapor on the lungs. Some people actually breath it in to loosen phlegm when they're sick. I think the asthmatics are safe. Also, the does of nicotine is very small(like 1.6%). It's pretty much water and nicotine.
People with lung cancer have used vaporizers to take marijuana. Why??? Because it's...wait for it, wait for it..............safe.
I think the bigger issue is people complaining about things they are not educated on. Seems almost epidemic these days.
Is it true that the fine for flight crew interference is 10K or something like that? Thought I read or heard that someplace..
"Nicotine vapors"?? "Can't hold off..."?? Anti-smokers making such comments are no longer rational. Electronic cigaretts give off a water vapor. There is no reason NOT to use one if one wants to (needing no one's permission or approval) just like the choice to chew on a stick of gum. For the truly hysterical, it's no more giving off "nicotine vapors" than you could say coffee gives off caffeine vapors. Good grief, you are the same people who lived in colonial times and screamed witch. There is absolutely no reason to respect your opinion.
It all makes one wonder how ignorance of the real nature of a vaping device is the true issue here. To me I would rather fly next to a vaper vaping than the person consuming his fourth "airplane" bottle of scotch. At least the former has his senses intact and his mouth doesn't cease vocalizing.
It all makes one wonder how ignorance of the fact that there have been few studies done on "vaping devices" other than those paid for by the companies which manufacture them. Golly, gosh--but I seem to recall a little thing called a "cigarette" which was studied mostly by the companies which produced it and theoretically was great for the throat (relaxing the muscles) and a healthy way to relax.
Kind of didn't turn out that way, did it? Actually, the few studies done by medical professionals point out that the vaporized nicotine has not been adequately studied, that the devices leak, and that proper methods of dealing with the contamination have not been established. We actually have no idea what toxins are created when the devices heat up--there might be none, and they might be a serious problem. We simply do not know yet.
We do already know what happens with those who consume alcohol--personally, I'd like alcohol on planes banned because we know that's a problem. But, I guess that there are more drinkers than there are smokers--or, well, the airlines make a profit on the drinks but not the vaping.
Why can't nicotine addicts just use a patch, chew some gum, or suck on a nicotine lollipop? There is no good reason to be using an untested device on an airplane which has to recirculate the same air for hundreds of passengers--not all of whom are healthy young people.
When the studies are completed (and don't be terribly surprised when it is found that e-cigs don't actually deliver a lot of nicotine--as the first few studies have already demonstrated that--but that the nicotine is turning into some sort of environmental toxin), then we can decide in an intelligent way. Until then--remember that a lack of available information is, in fact, not the same thing as "ignorance." It is an "unknown."
Sorry to disappoint you rocky55 but no tobacco products are allowed for use on airplanes---that means no snuff or chewing tobacco.
Sometimes pure ignorance of a subject includes such a reaction. Reminds me of when I had a stethescope in my carry on bag and it took TSA half an hour to decide if it could be considered a weapon.
Oh I wish I could have seen that one :)
E-cigarettes contain no tobacco, they do not give off smoke, and the DOT has not officially made them illegal for use on airplanes therefore; why are passengers being harassed over them? Is it becasue it looks like smoking, if so then it becomes a moral issue and not a health issue. If they ban things based on moral issues a lot of you are going to be unhappy. Some consider caffeine a drug and don't believe people should drink coffee, tea, or eat chocolate, this is a moral issue for them. Remember every ban you agree to opens the door for more bans. They are coming for your favorite something soon. Don't forget either, your hot herbal tea gives off vapors too, they may be toxic and those hot tubs gives off vapors too, a nice chemical vapor .
My husband has used E-cigs for years, and never had any issues. A few people questioned but he carried a card with him explaining why it was not the same as smoking a cigarette.
These Anti-Smoking Zealots get on my Nerves! That no-smoking on airlines law began in the early 1990's and it quickly spread to international airline travel as well. For a while there, the TSA banned those cheap cigarette lighters onboard. Now, those are legal once again. I agree with BAinsworth about "every ban you agree to opens the door for more bans".....that is soooo very true. For the average smoker, airline travel, which used to be Fun in the "good old days" prior to 1990, has become a nightmare!! I am still waiting for that airline that is for SMOKERS ONLY!! Now, wouldn't that be a Hoot!! Hey, we All have a vice....for some of us, it's food (look at the obesity rate!) but some of us who prefer not to weigh 300 lbs. choose smoking. Life is Tough and we should be permitted to light up when and where we want. I'm sick of these stupid rules and I'm sick of people who impose them on others!
I wouldn't mind hookah hoses in place of the oxygen mask.
Quick - the difference is, your 'vice' affects the health of those around you. If you want to smoke with a full body suit and a helmet that traps the smoke inside, you go right ahead. But as long as your smoke affects the health of others, there will be rules against it.
I'd venture the number of alcoholics exceeds the number of nicotine addicts. But, they still serve alcohol (at a comfortable profit) even when it is a known fact that it produces more harm to others. Ever notice there is a MADD but not a MAS? And many more stories hit the media about drunks causing flight disruption....
QuickDigits--thank you for smoking! This means that you will kick money into the Social Security system and the funds that provide Medicaid, but will die too young to take advantage of any of it. The government is making a tidy profit off you--to the tune of 30 cents for every pack--and that's great for the rest of us.
However, when you get on an airplane--it is sort of an enclosed environment, dear. Everyone has to breathe that same air, and smoke kind of kills people. You know--"smoke inhalation"? While maybe you have built up a resistance to it, most of the rest of us haven't--particularly small children--and some of us who have been around it (my dad smoked when I was young) are now deathly allergic. Old people often have breathing problems, also.
Suddenly having someone develop a health problem that could be fatal when the plane is at tens of thousands of feet isn't a good thing. First, the plane might have to land which will sort of mess up everyone's itinerary. Second, the person might die--which would sort of subject you to a nasty lawsuit if not a negligent manslaughter charge. There are good reasons for rules in situations where everyone is in cramped quarters and has to breathe the same recirculated air.
But, by all means, as long as you don't do it in public where you are creating health problems for other people--please feel free to smoke. Make sure you smoke a whole lot, too--because when you do finally develop a fatal health issue, it will benefit the rest of us if you go really quickly rather than dragging it out with years of wasting away on an oxygen tank and making us all feel badly to see you gasping for air that you can't process anyway. Kthanxbye!
Yea I remember a time like this it was called europe in the 1940s
You smokers need Thromby Air's "Smokat" service...
www.thrombyair.com/2010/10/caring-for-desperadoes/
If you cant go the hour or two without a smoke....drive. If this is infeasible to you then you need mental health counseling. Man up.
so by that logic when they take away your freedom of speech on airplanes.... and you can't go a couple of hours without talking you should seek counseling?
I'd man up, I rarely utter more then "excuse me" to the people I sit next to...Plus, jumping from smoking to talking is a pretty bad analogy.
It's both entertaining and sad, to hear the comments from folks who don't really know what they're talking about. Must be nice to have never had an addiction. It doesn't make you holier than anyone else, however.
As someone who has overcome my own, the fuss over these eCigs is laughable.
I am a smoker but I do understand the law and also respect those who do not wish to be around it. Here in southern California there are a number of communities where you cannot smoke, out in the open, in a public place. In fact smoking is banned at the beaches as well so I must comply. However if the rule or law on e-cigarettes has not yet been put into effect, and he was not smoking, (sorry but it isnt smoke it is water vapor) then he should prevail in court. I fear though that with the negative views by most of smokers he will be found guilty of breaking a law that does not yet exist.
If it were just the fact of the e-cig you are right, he could probably fight it in court. But that moron went even further by ignoring the instructions of the flight crew. If he was standing when the plane landed he could have been injured and then guaranteed the airline would have been sued to no end.
My other thought here is, does the vapor look like smoke or somehting similar? Given the understandable paranoia of people, the vapor could be seen as smoke and people could react as if someone was trying to do something to the flight.
Who cares about e-cigs on airplanes? What I care about are the idiots who smoke at a playground and the wind blows it all on the play area. Can't you go downwind or at least 25 ft away? THANKS for NOTHING.
Ten bucks says you drive a SUV or some other gas guzzler and have no problem spewing your nasty pollution all over the people behind you.
"...threw peanuts and pretzels at the flight attendant and, as the flight was approaching Salt Lake City, stood up and began opening overhead compartments". They also asked him to sit down 6 times
When flight attendants ask you to do something, you do it. Nicotine seems to make people think they can do whatever they want...get hostile...and be justified.
Still - those with alcohol issues move to the front of the line. And I doubt nicotine has your stated effect. Anybody else you want to cane-flog with opinion?
Author of this article is an idiot. What part of no smoking does a person violate by using an electronic vaporizer? There is no flame, no combustion, no smoke. I'm all for no smoking areas but the E-ciggs are not smoking and are fine.
E-Cigs are not harmful and to make laws because it makes idiots feels safer is wrong. Educate the idiots, boy do we need that in this country lately
This seems like this is still a grey area with regards to the airline smoking ban. I can understand that the flight attendants didn't really know how to react and played it safe by asking him not to use one. It was his choice to respond like an angry child and throw a tantrum, he deserved the charges.
What cracks me up is how many of the really militant non cigarette-smokers are pot smokers, LOL
All the irony. You can't use an e-cig which emits just about zero smell or fumes - but us asthmatics have to endure 150 people packed like sardines on a plane - all of whom are drenched in cologne and perfume - or - wreak from their peppermint-apple-lemon-lime aloe-channel #5 body wash. Yes, humans really do stink - both naturally and un-naturally.
And the day they tell me I can't use an emergency inhaler is the day one of them will get smacked and I'll be in jail.
Most of the above comments are ridicules. E-cigarettes do NOT emit any type of nicotine, it is nothing but water. If you look closely most of the time you can't even see anything at all coming from the device. I agree 100% with many of the comments regarding alcohol on flights. All we smokers ever hear is "it's caused from smoking, second hand smoke causes various illnesses. What about the people who contract the same illness and don't smoke, never smoked, and, has not been around anyone who does smoke? If you get a hang nail today it's because you smoke. Those who claim that second hand smoke damages the non smokers later on from being exposed to second hand smoke, what about all the drunk drivers who kill entire families, in one horrible accident, because of their alcohol intake. Also, drunk passengers, on any type of public transportation, or, drunks at various events i.e. baseball games, hockey games, lacrosse games, etc. Parents need to be very aware of the, so called fans, they sit with their children as those who are drinking get obnoxious with language, being rowdy and just act like idiots. Maybe if the powers that be would start putting heavy taxes on alcohol, like they are cigarettes, there might be fewer idiots getting drunk and going out driving and killing someone. Maybe we need prohibition back.