Looking to smoke at music festivals without getting in trouble?
Millions of festival-goers all over the world hit the festival road each summer. But here’s something you might not realize…
Research indicates that 37% of festival-goers are smokers. In comparison, 14% of people in the general public smoke.
This is a huge difference, which creates some major problems for festival goers and event organizers.
Let’s have a look at the reasons and solutions.
Festival Smoking Problems & Solutions
On one hand, most festivals have very clear and strict policies on smoking that will lead to ejection from the venue if not respected.
On the other hand, people tend to gather at festivals in large crowds in relatively small spaces, which can lead to significant safety issues.
On a positive note, by reading and understanding the policies and taking care of smoking safety, festival goers can smoke without any trouble while enjoying music at festivals.
In fact, many traditional cigarette smokers these days are also open to trying alternatives like some of these top 10 Canadian cigarettes ,so it’s good to be aware of the rules and be prepared for any situation.
On this page, we’ll cover:
- Festival Smoking Policies
- Designated Smoking Areas
- Festival Smoking Safety
- Smoking Violation Penalties
Festival Smoking Policies
A word of warning: the smoking policies at music festivals are not recommendations – they are laws.
This means that the organizers have to abide by the local laws and regulations related to smoking indoors in public areas.
In general, European and North American festivals have pretty similar smoking policies, with the following areas usually being “smoke-free zones”:
- Enclosed tent stages
- Covered food courts
- Roofed merchandise and retail booths
- Any other area which can be defined as “substantially enclosed” (per a generic law definition)
However, there is a point you have to pay attention to:
Vaping policies are also getting stricter at festivals. Even though vaping indoors in public spaces is still considered legal in many jurisdictions, it’s also banned in enclosed areas at most festivals.
On the enforcement side of things, festival security are not shy to stop you and check if you’re smoking.
If you repeatedly ignore the rules and smoking policies, then you will be asked to leave the festival grounds with no refunds.
Designated Smoking Areas
The best way to smoke at music festivals without any issues is to utilize the designated smoking areas.
Pretty much every music festival around the world will provide attendees with a “smoking zone”. Some of the key characteristics of these zones include:
- Marked with signs and indications
- Relocated at a distance from the main stages
- Significantly equipped with ashtrays and disposal bins
- Placed at a location to minimize inconvenience and exposure to non-smokers
Many music festivals also go a step further and provide smoke-free zones for:
- Family camping zones
- Children’s activity and games area
- Food preparation and cooking zones
- First aid and medical tents
On the other hand, a rising number of festivals are becoming fully smoke-free. Therefore, before you decide to pack your cigarettes, make sure to read the festival’s FAQ section to check their smoking policy.
Safety First
Safety is always a major concern when it comes to smoking at music festivals.
The combination of thousands of people gathered in a relatively small space, on top of dry conditions, temporary infrastructure, and tents, all this makes smoking a safety concern as a single case of not taking care can lead to a major festival incident.
The safety considerations for smoking at music festivals include:
Fire Safety
This is a major one: there have been multiple major incidents at festivals related to careless smoking.
Safety rules, similar to those in the following picture, should be common sense:
- Never leave cigarettes without full extinguishment, especially in provided ashtrays
- Never throw cigarette butts on the ground
- Do not smoke near festival tents or temporary structures
- Keep cigarettes away from alcohol and flammable materials
Respect others around you
Finally, just because you smoke doesn’t mean the 58 million Americans exposed to secondhand smoke every year want to be around you.
If you are one of the festival attendees who choose to smoke, consider some of the following tips:
- Don’t smoke in congested areas – if everyone is standing in a congested area, don’t be that guy and light a cigarette.
- Relocate from non-smokers – if you are smoking next to people who are not, move away or don’t smoke while standing next to non-smokers
- Don’t smoke when you are walking through crowds of people
- Be aware of the wind direction – never smoke facing the wind if there are other people near you.
Violating Smoking Policies
Smoking at festivals is serious business, and violating smoking policies at music festivals will have some real consequences.
Let’s have a look at the repercussions:
- Festival-goers found smoking in a non-smoking area are ejected from the festival grounds with no refunds.
- The violators of smoking policies may face fines and penalties
- The individuals who break smoking policies may be banned from attending the festival in the future.
Venues like the Hollywood Bowl can also turn a smoking violation into a misdemeanor citation with potential arrest.
The security teams at festivals these days have also gotten very good at identifying smoking violations. They are using:
- Roving patrols
- Surveillance systems
- Reports from other festival-goers
- Smell detection
Smart Alternatives to Smoking at Festivals
If you can’t find a designated smoking area, here are some ideas:
- Step outside festival grounds. Most festivals will allow you to re-enter the festival grounds with the wristband you had previously, so feel free to take a smoking break between sets or grab a drink outside.
- Time it right. Smoke during changeovers and during less crowded periods at the festival.
- Have an alternative. Consider alternatives such as nicotine gum or patches and smokeless products.
International Policies
Festivals in Asia, Africa, and South America are known to be more relaxed about smoking, whereas European and North American music festivals are known to have the strictest smoking policies and enforcement.
Smoking Health Reality
When it comes to smoking and health, let’s be real with each other.
As per WHO data, more than 8 million deaths globally per year are directly related to tobacco use and consumption.
Now, when you go to a music festival, the likelihood of finding yourself in a compromised health condition is also very high:
- Dehydration from dancing and the heat
- Sleep deprivation
- Alcohol consumption
- Physical stress and exhaustion from being in the crowd
Throwing a cigarette on top of this is a fast track to putting your health at risk.
Smart Choices
For the best music festival experience possible, plan your smoking consumption before you go to a festival.
Understand the rules, find the smoking areas, plan your smoking breaks in advance, and always respect the rules and other festival attendees.
Heavy smokers are encouraged to consider reducing their smoking before and during music festivals and switching to alternatives or the smoke-free times at the festival. After all, festivals are for having fun and listening to music, not trying to avoid security.
Enforcement Reality
Festival security takes smoking violations very seriously, as a main reason for that is that their insurance providers have strict compliance requirements.
Festival security will have to shut down the entire event in case of a major incident, so in general, staff members will be trained to spot smoking violations, identify potential health and safety issues, de-escalate situations when needed, and have an understanding of the moment to issue warnings and when to eject a visitor.
Summary
Mastering smoking rules and safety at music festivals doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience.
In fact, the key to that is preparation.
Before you go to a festival, make sure you:
- Read the festival smoking policy
- Familiarize yourself with the designated smoking areas
- Plan your smoking consumption/breaks in advance
- Always respect the festival smoking policies and other people around you
This way, you’ll be able to stay safe and follow the rules at music festivals without missing out on any part of the experience.
Music festivals are about the music and the community around it, not the issues with smoking, security, or safety.
The last but most important thing to remember is that your reputation (and health) will last a lot longer than the festival. Make choices now that you will be proud of in the future.
Looking to smoke at music festivals without getting in trouble?
Millions of festival-goers all over the world hit the festival road each summer. But here’s something you might not realize…
Research indicates that 37% of festival-goers are smokers. In comparison, 14% of people in the general public smoke.
This is a huge difference, which creates some major problems for festival goers and event organizers.
Let’s have a look at the reasons and solutions.
Festival Smoking Problems & Solutions
On one hand, most festivals have very clear and strict policies on smoking that will lead to ejection from the venue if not respected.
On the other hand, people tend to gather at festivals in large crowds in relatively small spaces, which can lead to significant safety issues.
On a positive note, by reading and understanding the policies and taking care of smoking safety, festival goers can smoke without any trouble while enjoying music at festivals.
In fact, many traditional cigarette smokers these days are also open to trying alternatives like some of these top 10 Canadian cigarettes ,so it’s good to be aware of the rules and be prepared for any situation.
On this page, we’ll cover:
Festival Smoking Policies
A word of warning: the smoking policies at music festivals are not recommendations – they are laws.
This means that the organizers have to abide by the local laws and regulations related to smoking indoors in public areas.
In general, European and North American festivals have pretty similar smoking policies, with the following areas usually being “smoke-free zones”:
However, there is a point you have to pay attention to:
Vaping policies are also getting stricter at festivals. Even though vaping indoors in public spaces is still considered legal in many jurisdictions, it’s also banned in enclosed areas at most festivals.
On the enforcement side of things, festival security are not shy to stop you and check if you’re smoking.
If you repeatedly ignore the rules and smoking policies, then you will be asked to leave the festival grounds with no refunds.
Designated Smoking Areas
The best way to smoke at music festivals without any issues is to utilize the designated smoking areas.
Pretty much every music festival around the world will provide attendees with a “smoking zone”. Some of the key characteristics of these zones include:
Many music festivals also go a step further and provide smoke-free zones for:
On the other hand, a rising number of festivals are becoming fully smoke-free. Therefore, before you decide to pack your cigarettes, make sure to read the festival’s FAQ section to check their smoking policy.
Safety First
Safety is always a major concern when it comes to smoking at music festivals.
The combination of thousands of people gathered in a relatively small space, on top of dry conditions, temporary infrastructure, and tents, all this makes smoking a safety concern as a single case of not taking care can lead to a major festival incident.
The safety considerations for smoking at music festivals include:
Fire Safety
This is a major one: there have been multiple major incidents at festivals related to careless smoking.
Safety rules, similar to those in the following picture, should be common sense:
Respect others around you
Finally, just because you smoke doesn’t mean the 58 million Americans exposed to secondhand smoke every year want to be around you.
If you are one of the festival attendees who choose to smoke, consider some of the following tips:
Violating Smoking Policies
Smoking at festivals is serious business, and violating smoking policies at music festivals will have some real consequences.
Let’s have a look at the repercussions:
Venues like the Hollywood Bowl can also turn a smoking violation into a misdemeanor citation with potential arrest.
The security teams at festivals these days have also gotten very good at identifying smoking violations. They are using:
Smart Alternatives to Smoking at Festivals
If you can’t find a designated smoking area, here are some ideas:
International Policies
Festivals in Asia, Africa, and South America are known to be more relaxed about smoking, whereas European and North American music festivals are known to have the strictest smoking policies and enforcement.
Smoking Health Reality
When it comes to smoking and health, let’s be real with each other.
As per WHO data, more than 8 million deaths globally per year are directly related to tobacco use and consumption.
Now, when you go to a music festival, the likelihood of finding yourself in a compromised health condition is also very high:
Throwing a cigarette on top of this is a fast track to putting your health at risk.
Smart Choices
For the best music festival experience possible, plan your smoking consumption before you go to a festival.
Understand the rules, find the smoking areas, plan your smoking breaks in advance, and always respect the rules and other festival attendees.
Heavy smokers are encouraged to consider reducing their smoking before and during music festivals and switching to alternatives or the smoke-free times at the festival. After all, festivals are for having fun and listening to music, not trying to avoid security.
Enforcement Reality
Festival security takes smoking violations very seriously, as a main reason for that is that their insurance providers have strict compliance requirements.
Festival security will have to shut down the entire event in case of a major incident, so in general, staff members will be trained to spot smoking violations, identify potential health and safety issues, de-escalate situations when needed, and have an understanding of the moment to issue warnings and when to eject a visitor.
Summary
Mastering smoking rules and safety at music festivals doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience.
In fact, the key to that is preparation.
Before you go to a festival, make sure you:
This way, you’ll be able to stay safe and follow the rules at music festivals without missing out on any part of the experience.
Music festivals are about the music and the community around it, not the issues with smoking, security, or safety.
The last but most important thing to remember is that your reputation (and health) will last a lot longer than the festival. Make choices now that you will be proud of in the future.
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