Time.news – There are few things in the world as unbearable for a smoker as flying. Endless hours with the fixed thought of taking a cigarette between your fingers, lighting it and breathing deeply. But you know, it’s not allowed on board an airplane. Peace. But e-cigarettes really don’t. “It’s clean, it doesn’t pollute, it doesn’t hurt the neighbors”, the most inveterate smoker repeats to himself like a mantra, looking for justification for what he is about to do. And these are not disparate episodes. The number of offenders is large, especially in the United States. On every flight the announcement before take off reminds passengers that the smoke of any kind is illegal on board aircraft. But some passengers prefer to take the risk anyway, rather than waiting in pain for the moment of landing.
Nobody seems to believe in the risk – albeit rare – of an explosion. Yet just a few days ago a passenger’s vaporizer battery caught fire on a United Airlines flight. Four flight attendants went to the hospital as a precaution. And the flight, bound for Newark, reversed course and returned to San Diego.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, in 2022, vaporizers and e-cigarettes were the leading cause of lithium battery accidents on aircraft, before those caused by battery packs and laptops. Of the 55 incidents reported through September last year, vapes and e-cigarettes accounted for 19, accounting for 35 percent of all incidents in 2022 and three times as many incidents reported in all of 2019, according to the FAA. For every incident documented, more go unreported: The FAA says the list of battery-related issues isn’t comprehensive, and passengers admit they don’t always report transgressions from their seatmates.
But why does this happen? If damaged or if the battery terminals short circuit, these devices can explode. Just like the batteries of smartphones and laptops. In the rare situations where the batteries overheat or catch fire, flight attendants place the e-cigarette or vaporizer in a thermal containment bag.
The federal government banned smoking on most US flights in 1990. In 2016, the United States banned the use of e-cigarettes on all domestic commercial flights and on international flights to and from the country.
But what are the laws in Italy? The use of electronic cigarettes, including e-cigars and e-pipes and other personal vaporizers, is prohibited on board the aircraft. Devices with batteries must be disassembled and be protected in separate bags to prevent accidental activation. Transport is allowed in hand luggage but not in the hold.