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What's allowed, what's not
● Here's a breakdown on Transportation Security Administration rules on what's allowed in airplane passenger cabins as of Friday. The rules apply to all domestic flights and international flights originating in the United States.
Liquids or gels not allowed:
Beverages, shampoo, suntan lotion, creams, toothpaste, hair gel.
Note: The TSA Web site says, "Some solid or powdered cosmetics items are permitted past the checkpoint; however, this is left to the discretion of the security officer. To minimize delays and hassle, we recommend that you pack all cosmetics in your checked baggage."
Items the TSA permits:
Baby formula, which must be presented for inspection at the checkpoint; prescription medicines that match the passenger's name; essential nonprescription medicines; food, unless it has a gel-like consistency; electronic items such as laptops, CD players and iPods.
The TSA notes that "for flights originating in the United Kingdom, local policies regarding carry on baggage will apply. These policies tend to be more stringent than United States policy. You may wish to check with you air carrier for additional details on United Kingdom requirements."
On the Net:
Transportation Security Administration: www.tsa.gov

Nation

Air travel restrictions pose some risks for people with medical conditions

The Associated Press
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.12.2006
Air travelers with medical conditions may suffer dehydration or other risks because of new air travel restrictions that prohibit people from bringing drinks onto the plane, some doctors say.
Bottled water and cans of nutritional supplement drinks are among the liquids that can't be carried on board.
Such restrictions may pose some risks, starting with dehydration, said Dr. Marc Siegel, an internal medicine physician with the New York University School of Medicine.
Dehydration can place an unhealthy strain on people with diseased hearts or kidneys. The dry air in the passenger cabin also dries out the mucous membranes that help protect the body from invading bacteria and viruses.
The government ban does not apply to prescription medicines with labels that match the passenger's name. And jets carry medical kits that stock medicines for heart attacks and certain other emergencies.
The Environmental Protection Agency randomly sampled the tap water from 327 airliners in late 2004. It found 15 percent of planes carried water that tested positive for coliform bacteria, including two aircraft with E. coli, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.
While most airlines serve bottled drinking water, few carry enough for the entire flight because of weight and space limits, Bloomberg reported. "We fill pitchers with ice and tap water; we make lemonade from it," Hettie Collins, a United Airlines flight attendant for 29 years told Bloomberg. She said the water has never made her ill.
Dr. David Freedman of the University of Alabama-Birmingham noted the problems faced by people who rely on Ensure and other over-the-counter nutritional supplement drinks.
"Some people can't eat ordinary airline food," including patients with inflammatory bowel disease or people who have recently had intestinal surgery, said Freedman, director of UAB's Travelers Health Clinic.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is allowing passengers to carry on essential nonprescription medicines, as well as baby formula and breast milk for infants. But Ensure is not permitted, said Christopher White, a TSA spokesman.
Most planes carry inhalers for asthma attacks, nitroglycerin for chest pains and many carry glucagon injections for diabetics who pass out with low blood sugar, said Joan Sullivan Garrett, founder and chairman of MedAire Inc., a Tempe-based company.
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