Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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3-2
Prohibited Items Intercepted at U.S. Airport Screening Checkpoints: 2004–2007

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Items 2004 2005 R2006 2007
Other cutting instruments 3,567,731 3,276,691 163,419 101,387
Knives 2,058,652 1,822,752 1,607,125 1,056,687
Incendiaries and explosive/flammable materials 693,649 398,830 113,700 89,623
Clubs 28,813 20,531 12,296 9,443
Box cutters 22,350 21,315 15,999 11,908
Firearms 650 2,217 2,075 1,416
Other 717,754 10,345,260 11,797,145 5,245,558
Total prohibited items 7,089,599 15,887,596 13,711,759 6,516,022

Key: R = revised.

Notes: Other cutting instruments include scissors, hatchets, swords, sabers, meat cleavers, ice axes, and picks. Effective Dec. 22, 2005, scissors less than 4 inches and tools less than 7 inches were no longer prohibited.

Knives include any length and type except round-bladed, butter, and plastic cutlery.

Clubs includes martial arts items, baseball bats, night sticks, hammers, pool cues, and billy clubs.

Firearms includes any weapon (including a starter gun) that is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive, as well as spear guns, BB guns, flare pistols, compressed air guns, and stunning devices.

Other refers to tools, self-defense items, compressed gas cylinders, bleach, lighters, and certain sporting goods. The jump in the number of other prohibited items in 2005 is a result of the inclusion of lighters as prohibited items as of Apr. 14, 2005. Lighters (except for torch lighters and micro torches) were removed from the prohibited items list effective Aug. 4, 2007.

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, personal communication, November 2008.



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