Durbin marks anniversary of ban on smoking in US commercial airplanes

CHICAGO (WLS) -- This week marks the 25th anniversary of legislation that banned smoking on U.S. commercial airplanes.

Sen. Dick Durbin and health officials marked the occasion at O'Hare Airport Monday.

Durbin helped draft the Smoke-Free Skies law, which went into effect on Feb. 25, 1990.

"I was told I didn't have a chance. The tobacco lobby was just too strong. But I decided to test it and with support from a number of my colleagues got it to a vote on the floor of the House of the Representatives," Durbin said.

The Smoke-Free Skies law helped pave the way for current laws that now prohibit smoking in many buildings across the nation.