I am not a smoker, but provide airport smoking guides in an effort to help smokers and reduce second-hand smoke. My views on smoking at airports remain unchanged. Warsaw Chopin International Airport (WAW) offers convenient airside indoor smoking lounges post-security.
Smoking Guide: Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW)
On the Schengen side of the airport (which is the majority), there are smoking area near gates 23, 33, and 43. The gate 23 and 33 smoking areas are small glass cubes along the concourse in which people can step into to smoke. There are openings in the bottom of the cubicle so you very much smell the smoke as you walk by, plus the smoking zone was so crowded the sliding glass door mostly stayed open.
The smoking area near gate 43 is larger, but also more hidden.
You can also use the IQOS lounge, which is a special lounge specifically intended for smokers of electronic cigarettes. My understanding of this lounge is that cigarettes are note permitted, but you can vape inside here (with the point of the lounge being for IQOS to sell what it markets as its solution to help you quit smoking).
On the non-Schengen side of the airport (beyond passport control), there is a smoking area near gate 1N. This is the same style cubicle as near gates 22 and 33 and the smoke just pours right out.
Despite the provision of these lounges, I noticed on my last visit that someone had decided to smoke in the bathroom of the LOT Polish lounge. Shame on him.
CONCLUSION
Warsaw Airport is a relatively smoker-friendly airports. Just keep an eye out for signs directing you to smoking areas and smoke there instead of in restrooms….
Bleah! I feel icky just looking at the photos. That’s just… wrong. I HATE cig smoke but… if they’re going to smoke at least don’t shove them into a phone booth so the smoke gets in their clothes and they stink up everywhere they walk by like Peanuts Pig-Pen. Also, as you observe, if it’s so small they’ll just leave the door open anyway.
That being said… it’s at least an attempt instead of just no smoking lounges at all and then they sneak smokes in the regular lavatories (which half of the time, they do anyway.)
Wayy too close for comfort and what kind of HEPA filters are installed and where are they ventilating to and what other parts of the airport are they possibly leaking to along the way? I am curious as to how airtight ventilation really is. Seemingly not at airtight at all, if going by Hollywood. Smoking wise, hand rolled with legit clean organic papers and quality organic tobacco, or other cleaner methods, is one thing. Otherwise, yes, icky and previously guilty.
One of the downsides of going to an otherwise very fun high school–in a very diverse neighborhood–was that a good amount of my high school friends were partying from a very young age and unfortunately became smokers early on. I resisted for a while but eventually did succumb my late teens and early 20s. I was never addicted or buying packs per day but I certainly smoked socially when partying. Newport 100’s. Horrific now to think back on.
I smoked one night after having my wisdom teeth out and woke up the next morning with mouth full of blood both dried and not. Not fun, super dumb. I despised most menthol cigarettes but menthol was enough for me to willingly partake. They tasted good, oddly enough, at the time. Smelling like an ashtray and needing to brush teeth constantly. I guess my body was trying to wake me up, saying say hey, you’re sick. Wasn’t able to even comprehend that message at the time but at the same time it proves that you can’t underestimate the importance of planting a seed. Aka, tending to my own garden.
I have so many regrets. My lungs today certainly aren’t thanking me for the fiberglass and formaldehyde uptake and the rest. Some have been successful with Chantix but then you’re also needing to heal from those side effects, too, which for my one of my friends included extremely terrifying nightmares a la the Ambien driving horror stories.
Still, something to be considered or fleshed out further as it’s probably better to get off commercial cigarettes. IDK. It’s worked for many people. Something to consider. I don’t have any judgement towards those who do smoke but I do pray for people that do when I see it occurring. Not a negative thought/prayer, but a positive one, that they may have better health. We have mountains beyond mountains of toxicity to detox from as a collective, so, I believe, anything helps.
despised most non-methol cigarettes*
Sorry, didn’t refresh on Chantix before my post, my fault, strike any of my promotion. A recall was done on at least some of it due containing cancer causing ingredients. To each their own on the risk but perhaps we should continue to stick with trying to be as clean as possible.
It’s wrong for airports to not have any smoking areas inside of security. When they don’t people either smoke in the bathrooms, I’m talking to you TLV, AMM and others. Or they force people to go outside through security and then add extra people to the security lines to get back airside. It’s dumb. I hate smoking but there needs to be facilities inside security for it.
+1.
True open-air facilities would be best. But then you’d have people thinking it’s a lounge and everyone would be out there just to get sunlight and fresh air, secondhand smoke be damned.
Smoking causes sickness and especially Lung Cancer. I see a lot of ex-smoker with lung cancer in my job as a registered nurse. But I too was a smoker in my teen years. Consider quitting because this will definitely give you better health.
+1, and/or at least move to vaping (if quality regulated organic product) at a minimum. I know vaping has a ton controversy and its own health concerns but if it helps people to taper, so be it. Inhaling particulate at a temp lower than the point of combustion has to be better than inhaling butane fumes.