Can I Smoke Cigarettes in Public in New Jersey?

Smoking Regulations in New Jersey

  • Over six years ago, the New Jersey Legislature enacted the “New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act” which prohibits smoking in indoor public places, including apartment building lobbies or other public areas in an otherwise private building. However, this Act does not apply to individual apartment units.
  • There are hundreds of studies linking indoor secondhand smoke to health problems like heart disease.
  • In 2015, Longport became the first town in New Jersey to ban plastic and paper bags for carry-out at its businesses.
  • The state legislature approved bills that would have prohibited smoking on all beaches in New Jersey, but Gov. Chris Christie, saying that decision should be left up to individual towns, vetoed that legislation and instead last July approved bans at state beaches and parks.

Public Smoking Restrictions

  • If you’re planning a trip to Cancun, it might be best to leave the cigarettes at home. Mexico has just imposed a strict new law banning smoking in public places, including in hotels and on beaches.
  • Hotel and resort rooms are considered public property for the purposes of this law. The law also makes it illegal to have tobacco products on your person in public places.

Dealing with Smoking Cravings in Public

  • Dealing with cigarette withdrawal symptoms and resisting smoking cravings in public require both strategy and mindset shifts.
  • Prepare a response plan for these scenarios. This could be as simple as politely declining a cigarette with a rehearsed phrase.
  • Being prepared reduces the anxiety of encountering smoking cravings in public. Use distraction techniques. When cigarette withdrawal symptoms strike, distraction can be a powerful tool.

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