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. 

[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. 

[JohnS]

Proposed cigar lounge at Detroit Metro Detroit Airport getting pushback from health group

 By Jack Springgate - Updated on: July 16, 2025

The Detroit Wayne Oakland Tobacco Free Coalition is hoping plans for a proposed cigar lounge at Detroit Metro Airport do not move forward.

The coalition has gone as far as to fund billboards near the airport calling for the airport authority to say no to indoor smoking. Members surveyed 600 people from around the state, asking if they'd support a cigar lounge that allows smoking inside DTW. About 77% of those who responded said no.

"Our entire goal is to educate the public," said American Heart Association Community Advocacy Director A'Lynne Boles Dukes.

Boles Dukes, also a coalition member, says an airport is not the place to approve indoor smoking.

"How do you make exposing others to second-hand smoke safe?" she said.

She says it's not just about the smoke coming from the lounge, but also concerns about when someone boards their flight after visiting it.

"This is on a flight with children, with people with asthma, and who don't have a choice about who they sit next to. And they're going to carry those carcinogens on their bodies, and I've got to inhale that? That's the part that makes this so egregious," she said.

The Wayne County Airport Authority released a statement, saying, "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 ... 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."

The authority didn't specify if some smoke exposure could be permitted. Officials said they value any public feedback as they start getting word out to businesses about the opportunity. 

The Wayne County Airport Authority board will have a meeting at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, at the Evans Terminal. It's open to the public in person or virtually.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/proposed-cigar-lounge-receives-pushback-detroit-metro-airport/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h

[ha_banos]

"They're going to carry those carcinogens on their bodies" makes me so want to give her a great big friendly bear hug!

This made me go asking some questions and "Yes, the stale smell of smoke, also known as thirdhand smoke, can be carcinogenic. While it may seem like just an unpleasant odor, thirdhand smoke is a residue of tobacco smoke that settles on surfaces and in dust, containing harmful chemicals like nicotine and carcinogens. These chemicals can re-emit into the air and recombine to form new, even more harmful substances." - Gemini

If you live in a sterile bubble and are at risk of 3rd hand smoke ... read on!

ref. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/what-is-thirdhand-smoke

But there’s also something called thirdhand smoke that can pose health risks. Thirdhand smoke is the residue from secondhand smoke that settles on furniture, walls, carpeting, clothing, and other surfaces after someone has smoked in that area. Thirdhand smoke, which is made up of the gases and particles that settle on surfaces after the smoke dissipates, is sometimes called residual tobacco smoke.

Spaces that contain thirdhand smoke may smell like someone has smoked there for weeks or even months. The deposited gases and particles from thirdhand smoke may combine with gases in the air, forming cancer-causing compounds that can become progressively hazardous over time. People may inhale these off-gassing chemicals from thirdhand smoke. Long-term exposure to thirdhand smoke pollutants has been shown to damage human cells and DNA and may be associated with asthma and cancer.

People can also be exposed to thirdhand smoke by touching contaminated surfaces, and harmful chemicals can be absorbed into the skin.

Yale researchers have found that thirdhand smoke also settles on the clothing or bodies of smokers or people who are exposed to secondhand smoke. Their research shows that thirdhand smoke travels with people, and some of its toxic chemicals are released in new locations, such as movie theaters. Because of this, thirdhand smoke can be present in areas where people didn’t smoke and where secondhand smoke was not present before. It can also persist for years after exposure.

Their work also takes a deep dive into the chemical composition of thirdhand smoke, showing the diverse range of compounds present in thirdhand smoke, depending on whether it is from particles settling on surfaces or the inside of smokers’ lungs. This collection of work by the Gentner group and PhD graduate Roger Sheu is important, says Yale’s Drew R. Gentner, PhD, an associate professor of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, “since it shows the remarkable chemical diversity of thirdhand tobacco smoke and how its chemical composition evolves over time; it also demonstrates how the chemical markers tobacco have been observed in a range of environments, including the homes of smokers who only smoke outside the residence.”

 

And congratulations on getting this far. Because you know what? Then there's the danger of 4th hand smoke too. Read on, because I couldn't be arsed.

 

https://www.genesispub.org/the-hidden-threat-of-third-and-fourth-hand-smoking-to-oral-and-periodontal-health-a-narrative-review

 

Still here?! Great! They are trying to establish fifth-hand smoke! Don't let them!

[gormag38]

As someone who frequents DTW multiple times a year, I love this idea! Nowadays, I'm usually traveling with my kids, so I won't be able to go use the lounge, but I like the fact that they're putting one in there. The McNamara terminal is where they have most of their international flights come in; with the two colleges (UM and MSU) there are a lot of students from Asian countries that will no doubt use that lounge. 

[Ford2112]

19 hours ago, JohnS said:

"This is on a flight with children, with people with asthma, and who don't have a choice about who they sit next to. And they're going to carry those carcinogens on their bodies, and I've got to inhale that? That's the part that makes this so egregious," she said.

No, what's egregious is the fact that you threw in kids or people with asthma as the scapegoats for your whiny "eww that smells" attitude,you fire breathing screeching fun killer. 

[BrightonCorgi]

Third hand smoke contributing to cancer of a passerby is a massive stretch. Can they outlaw lightning? If struck by lightning, can be fatal.

[PuroDiario]

And this, is why machines will take over…

[treberty]

I’m still baffled by the fact that at least 31 million passengers pass through DTW yearly. I have flown through that airport several times and I would have guessed 15-20M at best. 🥸

Go Detroit!

 

 

[JohnS]

DTW cigar bar has fans, foes among Freep readers | Letters

Detroit Free Press

Detroit Metro Airport: What to know about DTW

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, located in Romulus, Michigan, is one of the busiest airports in the United States. Serving over 30 million passengers annually, DTW offers nonstop flights to more than 140 destinations worldwide.

 

I'm strongly opposed to potential DTW cigar bar

I was born and raised in Detroit, and I currently serve as a high school basketball coach and mentor to today’s youth. I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposal to establish a cigar lounge in the McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

As a frequent traveler, often accompanied by my elderly mother, I am deeply concerned about the potential health risks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke in a public travel environment. The airport should be a safe and healthy space for all passengers, including seniors, children and individuals with respiratory conditions. I urge my fellow Detroiters to join me in opposing this proposal. Let’s come together as a community to ensure that our airport remains a clean and welcoming environment for everyone.

Karl Williams

Warren

Public health coalition unveils a billboard campaign to oppose the proposed cigar lounge at the Detroit Metro Airport. Courtesy of the Detroit Wayne Oakland Tobacco Free Coalition

 

Cigar bar shouldn't be an issue

Please! I read about the concern over a proposed cigar lounge at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and I cannot fathom why this is an issue. I have visited a few cigar lounges over the past couple of years, and there should be no concern over secondhand smoke. These enclosed facilities often employ cutting edge filtration systems to remove smoke from the air, so in my experience, secondhand smoke is practically nonexistent. Any smoke that might end up on clothes is not a health hazard, but strictly just an unwanted smell to some others.

For the record, I don't really have a dog in this fight, because my trips to DTW are fairly rare. I merely find it laughable to see some people so worked up over this due to the "smoking is bad" kneejerk reaction without really knowing anything about the reality. For those who do not enter the smoking lounge, the secondhand smoke is way less than walking past a campfire at any state park.

To suggest there is a real danger to anyone other than the smokers is absurd. At worst, it's a annoyance from the lingering smell.

James Hulliberger

Reed City

Source: https://eu.freep.com/story/opinion/readers/2025/10/11/dtw-cigar-bar-secondhand-smoke/86599516007/

[MrBirdman]

The irony is that billboard was probably paid for by cigarette companies under the Master Settlement. 

[Fuzz AI]

On 10/13/2025 at 4:15 PM, JohnS said:

DTW cigar bar has fans, foes among Freep readers | Letters

Damn, they must have a lot of fans. Check out those clouds of cigar smoke over the airport....