Purpose: The purpose of this study was to obtain data for use in considering future passive smoking prevention measures from a survey of smoking room usage and passive smoking status in domestic airports.

Methods: Smoking room usage and passive smoking status were surveyed among smoking room users at five domestic airports in Japan.

Results: A total of 1,094 people (913 men, 181 women) used the airport smoking rooms over the 18 hour survey duration, all of whom were smokers. The mean number of smoking room users per hour in the five airports was 50.7 for men and 10.1 for women. Thus, approximately five times more men made use of the smoking rooms than women. The mean time spent in the room was 5.6 min for men and 6.5 min for women, and the mean passive smoking time was 5.5 min for men and 6.5 min for women; both significantly longer in women (p < 0.01). In addition, the mean time spent in the smoking room was significantly longer for those who drank a beverage than for those who did not (p < 0.01).

Discussion and Conclusion: Users of the smoking rooms in airports are exposed to both active and passive smoking. Considering the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which states that the effects of passive smoking should be avoided, there is an urgent need for the establishment of anti-passive smoking laws and other comprehensive and legally binding regulations.