Where to smoke cigarettes in New York?
If you're a smoker, New York will make things difficult for you. Here's what you need to know about smoking laws and where you can actually smoke.
New York is a smoke-free city
- New York is not the most welcoming city for smokers. Cigarettes are the most expensive in the United States here, due to particularly high taxes. Expect to pay around $13 for a pack in New York, compared to just $5 in Virginia. Even if you arrive with your own cigarettes, you won’t be able to smoke just anywhere.
- The Smoke Free Air Act, adopted in 2002, bans smoking in most enclosed spaces. This includes restaurants, bars, all workplaces, and all public places such as the subway, ferries, theaters, cinemas, and museums. The law also applies to pedestrian areas, including Times Square and Herald Square.
- In 2011, New York City expanded the ban further to parks, beaches, and swimming pools. You won’t be able to smoke in Bryant Park or Battery Park, for example. The fine for smoking where it’s prohibited is $50. Be aware that New Yorkers are encouraged to alert police if they see someone breaking the law.
E-cigarettes are treated like regular cigarettes
- Under the Smoke Free Air Act, e-cigarettes are treated the same as regular cigarettes. E-cigarettes are therefore subject to the same restrictions.
- In September 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law banning the sale of flavored e-liquids throughout New York State. “Manufacturers of fruit- and candy-flavored e-cigarettes are intentionally targeting young people,” the governor argued.
Where can you smoke in New York?
So where can you smoke a cigarette or e-cigarette in New York? There are three types of places where smoking is allowed:
- On the sidewalk in front of office buildings and bars.
- Inside a few shops that sell cigarettes. Nat Sherman Townhouse, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Midtown, is one example.
- In the rare New York bars that allow smoking. These include the SoHo Cigar Bar (32 Watts Street, SoHo), Karma (51 1st Avenue, East Village), Lexington Bar and Books (1020 Lexington Avenue, Upper East Side), and Club Macanudo (26 East 63rd Street, Upper East Side).
If all these restrictions push you to consider quitting, New York State can help. The state runs a quitline—a helpline that offers advice and support. Call 1-866-697-8487. You can also visit the New York State smoking cessation website.