(Bloomberg) — Passengers on commercial flights in the U.S. won't be allowed to use e-cigarettes under a regulation designed to protect people from the devices' second-hand vapor.

The Department of Transportation said it considers e-cigarettes to be equivalent to smoking, which is already banned on airliners, according to an e-mailed release Wednesday.

"This final rule is important because it protects airline passengers from unwanted exposure to aerosol fumes that occur when electronic cigarettes are used onboard airplanes," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in the release. "The department took a practical approach to eliminate any confusion between tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes by applying the same restrictions to both."

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