Awwal 08, 1432, Feb 11, 2011, SPA -- The U.S. Department of Transportation says the use of smokeless electronic cigarettes on airplanes is prohibited and plans to issue an official ban this spring. according to AP. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the department interprets smoking regulations to include e-cigarettes. That's according to a letter written to Sen. Frank Lautenberg obtained by The Associated Press. Lautenberg had asked transportation officials to clarify the department's stance. He wrote the 1987 law that banned smoking on airplanes. E-cigarettes are plastic and metal devices that heat a liquid nicotine solution. They produce vapor instead of smoke. They have prompted debate over how risky they are and whether they're even legal. -- SPA
