If you are coming to Denver International Airport (DEN) and you smoke or vape, there is one thing that should be clear to you before arriving at the terminal or after you leave your flight at DEN: you cannot smoke anywhere indoors at DEN Airport since all of the indoor space of this airport has been completely smoke-free since 2018. The only places to light a cigarette are a few specially designated outdoor areas, and all of them can be found outside of the security checkpoint.
This guide will tell you everything you need to know about these smoking areas, how to find them, what you have to do according to the rules and regulations, and what should be done in case you are on a layover with little time for your next flight. It will be written as an answer to the most frequently asked questions.
No. The airport discontinued indoor smoking lounges back in 2018 and has become totally smoke-free, meaning that there are no lounges, ventilated rooms, or pods for smoking, both indoors and outdoors, not even for passengers in transit. Vaping is treated in the same way as conventional smoking – electronic cigarettes and vape pens are prohibited as well.
That is not an exception. Most of the biggest airports in the United States have stopped providing smoking lounges due to local clean air laws and policies of the airport authorities over the last ten years.
There are no designated smoking zones within the Jeppesen Terminal, but all of them can be found outside the Jeppesen Terminal. According to Denver International Airport’s official website, there are the following designated smoking areas:
The west side of Jeppesen Terminal
The east side of Jeppesen Terminal
Just outside the south center entrance of the terminal, on the left or right outside of the plaza entrance, is DEN Plaza. There are cigarette disposal receptacles located at each of these locations, eliminating the need for you to worry about where to stub out before you enter the building.
DEN’s secured area includes airport concourses and gate areas, and there are no smoking areas at the airport except for the security checkpoint. That means once you’ve passed TSA and are in the secure area, you can’t legally smoke without making it back to the security area, meaning you must pass through TSA again.
This is also true for travelers with layovers. DEN will not offer a smoking area in the secure area, even if there are hours between flights. You are limited to leaving the facility via security, one of the outside areas outside Jeppesen Terminal, and going through security again for your next trip.
This is where planning is crucial. If you are going to smoke outside the secure area, you will have to go through TSA screening two times — when leaving the secure area and when you return. Security wait times at DEN are very different depending on the time of day, day of the week, and season, and can vary from a few minutes to significantly more than 30 minutes. So if it takes you 15-20 minutes to get from a gate to the terminal and back again, then a “quick” smoke break can consume up to 45 minutes to an hour of your layover or pre-flight time, especially if you’re spread out on DEN’s concourses and have to take the train to and from your gate.
When connection time is short, it’s best to forgo the smoke break and just deal with the consequences of missing the flight. If you do make the trip, be sure to check with a gate agent or call your flight status before departure, and schedule additional time buffers, particularly if you travel during peak times such as holidays and weekend mornings.
Although Colorado has legalized marijuana for recreational use, this does not apply to DEN. The airport is under federal jurisdiction, and state law does not override federal law on the use of cannabis. Smoking, vaping, or marijuana use in any form is prohibited anywhere at Denver International Airport, even in the outdoor smoking areas that are designated for tobacco and nicotine products. In addition, travelers should know that the law may also be enforced for possession of cannabis, apart from the smoking prohibition, at a federally regulated facility.
Here are some of the helpful tips for smokers who have to fly through DEN.
Conclusion
Smoke-free practices apply to Denver International Airport’s indoor premises. However, smokers are not totally neglected by the airport. Smoking areas are located in several areas on the east and west sides of the Jeppesen Terminal—on viewpoints 4, 5, and 6. Keep in mind, once you cross the security threshold on your way to your next destination, there will be no smoking until you land or exit the secure area (If you choose to take the secure route, don’t forget the TSA line specifics can take longer than you expect). Vaping and smoking is not permitted on any of the terminal concourses. For now, to respect your fellow travelers, take your smoke breaks at least 20 feet away from doors and windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Denver International Airport is fully smoke-free. The last indoor lounge closed on the premises in 2018. Smoking lounges on concourses are prohibited at DEN.
The outdoor smoking areas include DEN Plaza and doors 400/416, 500/516, and 601/616/617 on level 6 of Jeppesen Terminal, all on the west side of the Terminal.
No. There are no smoking areas past the security checkpoint. If you must smoke during a layover, you will need to leave the secure area, find a place to smoke outside of Jeppesen Terminal, and pass security screening once again before heading back to your gate.
No, vaping is not allowed as much as smoking. Not allowed in the terminal and only in the outdoor spaces designated for cigarettes.
No. DEN is under federal jurisdiction, and therefore federal law prohibiting cannabis use also applies here, even though Colorado state law prohibits cannabis use. This includes smoking, vaping, and edibles, regardless of where you are outside of the designated outdoor smoking areas.