What to Know
- Everywhere you look in Times Square, you’ll see a wide variety of things happening. One of the most common: people who smoke.
- But look a little closer and you’ll see the new signs that say it bluntly: No smoking here.
- The city’s Smoke-Free Air Law prohibits smoking and the use of e-cigarettes in most public spaces, including parks and pedestrian plazas. That means no smoking, be it cigarettes, cigars, joints, electric cigarettes and more.
NEW YORK — Everywhere you look in Times Square, you’ll see a wide variety of things happening. One of the most common: people who smoke.
But look a little closer and you’ll see the new signs that say it bluntly: No smoking here.
“We get a lot of complaints about people smoking in public, both cigarettes and marijuana,” said Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris. “We wanted to make sure people knew that squares and parks weren’t going to waste and that there were rules in place.”
The rule he is referring to is the city’s Smoke-Free Air Law, which prohibits smoking and the use of e-cigarettes in most public spaces, including parks and pedestrian plazas.
Father Duffy Square is a park, with the pedestrian squares clearly marked. That means no smoking, be it cigarettes, cigars, joints, vaporizers, or more.
Smoking is allowed on the side streets, and people are allowed to smoke in the confines of their home (legally speaking, that is, since different buildings have different rules that may prohibit smoking). But vices should not interfere with other people’s enjoyment of the public realm.
Smoking marijuana is so prevalent in Times Square that the smell interrupted a news conference the mayor was hosting with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the city’s top attorney.
“A law that was clearly passed is being practiced right now because I smell some weed. Someone is smoking,” Adams said.
Tourists smell it too.
“Well, there are a lot of marijuana smokers in this city. It smells a lot,” said one visitor.
The state legalized the recreational use of marijuana in 2021, but smoking in a prohibited area can result in a $50 fine.
The educational campaign in Times Square comes as the state this week opened its second recreational marijuana dispensary in the city. Just remember: you can buy it there, but that doesn’t mean you can smoke it anywhere.
