[AP] E-cigarette airline passenger detained in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore.  An airline passenger who refused to turn off an electronic cigarette could face a federal charge in Portland.

FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steel says the man was held Tuesday after he was taken off a Continental Airlines flight that had returned to Portland International Airport.

The Oregonian reports (http://is.gd/8SVIt9 ) Flight 1118 returned about half an hour after taking off for Houston because the man was not cooperative.

E-cigarettes, which heat a liquid nicotine solution, are not specifically prohibited by the Transportation Safety Administration — like tobacco cigarettes — on commercial planes. However they are banned by Continental Airlines.