Recently I was on a flight and once again found myself thinking about a contradiction: on the one hand, airlines prohibit smoking on board, and on the other — they additionally point out on trash bins in the lavatory that cigarette butts must not be thrown there.
I understand the reason: even if someone did smoke, cigarette butts in a plastic bag mixed with paper are a direct path to heaven for everyone on board. Or at the very least — a much more dangerous situation.
And yet, I still see a dangerous contradiction here. Look: the ban on smoking is accompanied by the following messages:
- we will ban you from our flights!
- you may face a fine of up to €3,000!*
- you may be arrested by the police upon arrival!*
*Depending on jurisdiction.
So, imagine this troublemaker who has read all of that and decided to smoke anyway. He takes a drag, the alarm starts screaming — he tries to find somewhere to hide the evidence… And what does he see next to the trash bin? PROHIBITED.
No mention of sanctions, no explanation — just prohibited.
I don’t believe you can effectively discourage a person from the most dangerous action if, at the same time, you tell them that their sins are already so great that Jesus has long since given up on them and agreed that this time Lucifer has won. Human psychology simply doesn’t work that way. “Hmm, I can either get a guaranteed pile of sanctions — or I can try to avoid them with no additional risk to myself.” If I were the smoker, I would interpret the choice exactly like that.
So what should be done? First, explain the reasons for the smoking ban honestly, rather than the way it’s done now: claiming it’s for the sake of other passengers. If that were the case, electronic cigarettes and IQOS devices — which do not create fire hazards — would not be banned on board.
Second, be honest about the reason for prohibiting the disposal of cigarette butts: if you’ve already, my friend, spit on your fellow passengers — at least give them a chance to make it to the destination!
Third, do not intimidate with sanctions at the stage of prohibiting smoking.
Fourth, intimidate very strongly at the stage of prohibiting the disposal of cigarette butts.
In this setup, at every stage the person’s motivation not to make things worse increases rather than decreases.