I realize that this question may open a real can of worms, and I truly wish everyone would stop smoking, but please bear with me. I was recently going through Heathrow airport, but we were delayed for a day and had to take a hotel overnight. I saw some smokers gathered outside and since I had some time to kill waiting for my wife and then catching our shuttle bus I decided I would ask them their views on the smoking ban inside the terminal.

All of them, every single one, said they had no problem with the non-smoking laws in their everyday lives and had no problem popping outside for a cigarette at work, bars, restaurants, etc. However they did have a problem with having no place inside the secure areas at airports and I began to see their point.

I was informed by many to consider that they may take a long flight, get off their plane, and then be waiting to transfer onto another long flight. And for them to "nip out for a smoke" wasn't exactly a simple task. First they had to get out of the secure area, and sometimes this meant first passing through passport control. Then locate the outdoor smoking area. Then when they were finished, work their way back through security, and perhaps another round with passport control, all the while dragging their carry-on luggage around with them (when traveling alone).

So why can't they have an area set aside for the smokers inside the secure area at the airports? I have seen some good ones with good ventilation, negative air pressure, etc, and you had to be standing damn near right in front of them to smell the smoke.

Or once when I was passing through Miami I saw an outdoor smoking area inside the secure area. It was like a little courtyard inside the terminal building with the only possibility for entry via the doorway. Why couldn't the airport authorities build something similar in other terminals, maybe an external balcony?

What do you think?