RELEASE: Michigan House Resolution Urges Airport Authority to Halt Plan for Cigar Bar at Detroit Metro Airport
Keep MI Kids Tobacco Free Alliance applauds resolution, calling on the Airport Authority to abandon its dangerous plan
LANSING – The Keep MI Kids Tobacco Free Alliance today applauded the introduction of a resolution, sponsored by state Rep. Stephanie Young, focused on protecting Michiganders by urging the Wayne County Airport Authority to suspend a plan to open a cigar bar inside Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW).
House Resolution 200 urges the Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) to halt plans for a cigar bar in DTW’s McNamara Terminal—a proposal that would require an exemption to Michigan’s smoke-free air law and threaten the health of travelers and airport employees alike.
“This resolution sends a clear message: protecting the health of Michigan families, workers, and travelers must come first,” said Jodi Radke, chair of the Keep MI Kids Tobacco Free Alliance and regional director for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “A cigar bar at DTW would roll back 15 years of progress under Michigan’s smoke-free air law, put thousands of airport employees at risk, and expose millions of travelers to harmful secondhand smoke. We stand with lawmakers in urging airport officials to reject this dangerous and unnecessary proposal.”
Public health experts stress there is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure, and ventilation systems cannot eliminate the health risks of cigar smoke. Recent polling shows broad opposition to the plan. According to an EPIC-MRA survey conducted this summer, 77 percent of Michigan voters oppose opening a cigar lounge inside DTW.
DTW is one of Michigan’s busiest public spaces, serving more than 31 million passengers each year and employing over 18,000 workers. Nearly nine in 10 travelers say they prefer smoke-free environments, according to J.D. Power.
“The facts are clear: secondhand smoke is deadly, the public opposes this plan, and opening a cigar bar in the airport would be a step backward for Michigan’s health,” said Minou Jones, chair of the Detroit Wayne Oakland Tobacco Free Coalition. “We thank Rep. Young for standing up for clean air, and we urge the Wayne County Airport Authority to prioritize the health and safety of passengers, employees, and the broader community by rejecting this proposal.”
The Wayne County Commission also approved a resolution opposing the proposed cigar bar last week. The resolutions come as the WCAA hosts its monthly board meeting at DTW where advocates, including local pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Toby Lewis, spoke out against the plan and the dangerous health impacts it would cause.
Dr. Lewis stressed: “The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranked Detroit #1 in the nation for asthma challenges in 2025, worse than all other major U.S. cities, due to high asthma prevalence, ER visits, and deaths. That is not a ranking any of us should accept. Let’s make Detroit known not as the hardest place to breathe, but as a clean, vibrant city. A city defined by innovation, by its sports, arts, and culture, and by an airport that reflects who we truly are: family-friendly, forward-thinking, and committed to a healthy future.”
About the Keep MI Kids Tobacco Free Alliance
The Keep MI Kids Tobacco Free Alliance is a coalition of more than 120 public health, community organizations, school groups and other community groups advocating for stronger tobacco policy and prevention in Michigan. Learn more at KeepMIKidsTobaccoFree.com.
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