Stop the cigar lounge at DTW' billboards placed along I-94, I-275

[El Presidente]

I personally dont need a cigar lounge at any airport. I am a stickler for a shower (long haul), change of shirt, shave etal and travel as fresh as I can be. However...."Viva la difference!"  Who the hell am I to dictate how others wish to prep for travel. 

Still, this article highlights and brings together the two most dangerous animals to our hobby.  Children and middle aged white women. 

Ferocious 

 

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2025/05/23/billboard-cigar-lounge-dtw/83797123007/

'Stop the cigar lounge at DTW' billboards placed along I-94, I-275

 

A public health group is ramping up pressure on the Wayne County Airport Authority to scrap a proposed cigar lounge at the Detroit Metro Airport, launching billboards that warn of secondhand smoke risks.

The Detroit Wayne Oakland Tobacco Free Coalition unveiled the billboards this week along Interstates 94 and 275 near the airport. Featuring an image of a coughing child in an airport terminal, the signs urge passersby to “Stop the cigar lounge at DTW” and call on the public to oppose indoor smoking at one of the state’s busiest transportation hubs, according to a news release from the coalition.

More than 31 million travelers passed through DTW in 2023. Health advocates say the risks extend beyond individual choice.

“The science is clear. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke,” said the chairman of the Detroit Cancer Screening Initiative, Dr. Lawrence MacDonald, in the release. “Permitting a cigar lounge at DTW would not only put travelers at risk but also jeopardize the health and safety of the 18,000 employees who work there. This proposal flies in the face of Michigan’s progress in creating smoke-free public environments.” 

In late 2024, the Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) said its proposed Cigar Lounge and Restaurant Concessions Opportunity could bring a cigar bar lounge and restaurant, food hall and other new developments to the McNamara Terminal at DTW.

"We developed the Cigar Lounge and Restaurant Concessions Opportunity in response to interest from the community and local businesses, especially as it relates to the international nature of the airport," a WCAA spokesperson told the Free Press.

Michigan’s Smoke-Free Indoor Air Law went into effect in 2010, banning indoor smoking in most public places. While cigar bars and tobacco shops are exempt under the law, critics of the DTW cigar lounge argue the WCAA plan stretches those exemptions and threatens to undermine smoke-free protections statewide.

Members of the coalition say the proposal also lacks transparency and public engagement. Several have submitted comments and emails to the airport authority but report little response, according to the news release. Coalition leaders have also published opinion pieces and spoken out at monthly WCAA meetings.“As a parent and frequent traveler, I’m appalled by the idea of exposing my children to secondhand smoke while navigating the airport,” a Michigan resident and parent, Teferi Brent, said in the release. “This proposal sends the wrong message to our youth. Many kids today have never even seen indoor smoking in public places, and we must not allow a backward slide into that past.” 

In response to public concern, the airport authority said a cigar lounge at DTW would include measures to reduce smoke exposure and emphasized that it prioritizes the health and safety of all its employees, customers and visitors.

"Bidders will be required to provide a state-of-the-art air handling and ventilation system and facility design to reduce smoke exposure to the fullest extent possible," according to the WCAA.

[Chibearsv]

3 hours ago, El Presidente said:

“The science is clear. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke,” said the chairman of the Detroit Cancer Screening Initiative, Dr. Lawrence MacDonald

Good thing first hand smoke is okey dokey or I’d have been dead long ago. 😁

[MrBirdman]

Hey I’d love to see a lounge that has “18,000 employees who work there.” Most only manage a half dozen or so.

In a world a screwed up as ours is, these people need something more pressing to worry about. 

[BrightonCorgi]

I wouldn't want to sit next to someone on plane who just smoked a cigar, but that's me. Then again, if I had a 2+ hour layover, a cigar is a good way to waste time.

[Lucas Buck]

Gotta love the blanket statement "the science is clear" with no references. Absurd. 

[BoliDan]

The problem with this is that it wilI attract cigarette smokers. If they can manage to ban cigarettes than fine. I remember when there used to be smoke rooms at airports. The ones in Atlanta were so nasty. Open the door and clouds come out. But a few cigar smokers in a well ventilated room that is optional to enter isn't doing anything.

[MrBirdman]

10 hours ago, BoliDan said:

The problem with this is that it wilI attract cigarette smokers. If they can manage to ban cigarettes than fine. I remember when there used to be smoke rooms at airports. The ones in Atlanta were so nasty. Open the door and clouds come out. But a few cigar smokers in a well ventilated room that is optional to enter isn't doing anything..

I think this is intended to be part of a cigar shop rather than a standalone public smoking area, so if they’re worth their salt they’d prohibit cigs.