Prevention Matters

Ever rent a car with the unpleasant lingering odor of stale cigarettes? Well, that could be a thing of the past. Beginning October 1, all Avis and Budget rental vehicles in the United States and Canada will be smoke-free. This is big!

With the advent of smoke-free restaurants and hotels, business analysts complained that customers would go elsewhere and business would decline. Hasn’t happened. Non-smokers have become loyal supporters of smoke-free environments and business establishments that have enacted smoke-free policies. Let’s prove the naysayers wrong in this case too. Smoke-free car rentals can be a popular and healthier alternative.

Kudos to the Avis Budget Group for recognizing not only the unpleasantness of tobacco smoke residue and odors, but also for discouraging smoking in a small closed environment. People’s health and dry cleaning bills will both be positively impacted.

To ensure compliance with the new smoke-free policy, Avis and Budget have new inspection processes and will assess cleaning fees if tobacco odor or residue is detected in returned vehicles. And, these vehicles will be taken out of the rental fleet until thoroughly cleaned and odor-free again.


Diane M. Canova, JD
Managing Senior Fellow
& Senior Program Officer