Phileas Fogg said "One needs to accept that nicotine is an addictive drug, a legal one, thus try telling a cocaine user, an addicted user, that he can't have his intake, upon what he is so dependant, for a number of hours.
Whilst smoking is banned in many public and work places there remains a facility, for the majority, to step outside into the fresh air for their cigarette. A pilot, or indeed any crew member, is denied such a facility thus it should be understood that they are addicted to this drug and a compromise should be found.
P.S. I am not a pilot nor a crew member but I am a smoker."
Sorry but I totally disagree. Lets try the argument the other way around shall we? As a non smoker, if I go to a public bar where people are allowed to smoke and I dont like it I can leave. If someone lights up on the flight deck I have no option other than to breathe in the carcinogenic exhalations of my inconsiderate crew member.
The bottom line is that the Authority (CAA, FAA etc) will either allow or not allow smoking on the aeroplane. Obey the law. Its as simple as that. I would not work for an airline that has approval from the Authority to smoke and I have no qualms in reminding anyone (senior or junior to me) that I find cigarette smoke offensive, that it is contrary to (in our case) the mandatory conditions in the CofA to smoke anywhere on the aeroplane and that if they do not extinguish immediately I will report them to as high an authority as is necessary to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Rant over!
