New York's Clean Indoor Air Act and Erie County smoke-free policies restrict outdoor smoking near building entrances, on hospital and school grounds, and in many Buffalo parks and playgrounds, with both tobacco and cannabis covered.
NY Public Health Law Article 13-E (Clean Indoor Air Act) bans smoking inside most workplaces and within designated outdoor areas including hospital campuses, school grounds, and within 100 feet of public and private school entrances. Erie County and Buffalo extend smoke-free protections to municipal parks, playgrounds, and outdoor dining patios. Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act (2021) generally treats cannabis smoking the same as tobacco for indoor and workplace purposes, so cannabis is also banned where tobacco smoking is. Enforcement is by NY Department of Health, Erie County Health, and BPD.
Smoking tobacco or cannabis in covered indoor workplaces, on school or hospital grounds, near school entrances, or in posted smoke-free parks results in fines starting around $50.
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See how Buffalo's outdoor smoking restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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