Bad news for any 21st century Don Drapers out there: Vaping has been explicitly banned by the U.S. government on all flights into, out of, and around the country.

Although regular ol’ Joe-20-pack smoking was banned on all U.S.-related flights back in 2000—which actually seems pretty recent—vaporizers were not explicitly banned alongside tobacco-related products such as cigars, cigarettes, and pipes. Now, however, that is no longer the case.

Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Transportation Secretary, has just announced “a final rule that explicitly bans the use of electronic cigarettes on commercial flights.” And according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, this rule applies to “all scheduled flights of U.S. and foreign carriers involving transportation in, to, and from the U.S.”

So the only thing leaving vapor trails at an altitude now will be the planes themselves.

According to Foxx, “This final rule is important because it protects airline passengers from unwanted exposure to electronic cigarette aerosol that occurs when electronic cigarettes are used onboard airplanes.” And although Foxx doesn’t state what detrimental health effects vaping may cause, the USDOT does say that “studies have shown that e-cigarette aerosol can contain a number of harmful chemicals,” and emphasizes that the rule is being put into place to especially protect children, the elderly, and people with respiratory problems.

This means that for anybody who does vape, they’ll have to find an alternative while they’re in the air. Perhaps a modified Bane-type mask would work, or maybe sucking on a matchstick like Angel Dust. Although neither of those things would make someone look nearly as cool as Don Draper…

What do you think about the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ban on vaping during commercial flights? Should people be able to vape where they please, or is it too harmful to be done in a confined space? Exhale your opinion in the comments section below!

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HT: Ars Technica

Images: Wikimedia // Vaping360