U.S. to ban in-flight vaping

The U.S. Transportation Department plans to ban vaping on airlines, reports USA Today.

The new rule applies to passengers on all U.S. and foreign airlines with flights within, into or out of the country, the department said. The ban takes effect 30 days from publication March 4 in the Federal Register.

Smoking traditional cigarettes has been banned on airliners for 30 years.

“This final rule is important because it protects airline passengers from unwanted exposure to aerosol fumes that occur when electronic cigarettes are used onboard airplanes,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx was quoted as saying.

The department said it was taking action to avoid any confusion about smoking and vaping.

Some individual airlines had already banned e-cigarettes.