City Smoking

Smoking at A60; Photo - NY Post The Post takes a look at the smoking ban, now that's it's a little over a month old, and how it affects New Yorkers - the young, hip, smoking New Yorkers, in particular. They mention the new "allure of the city's new discreet but decidedly busy smoke-easies'" that recall "the now-romanticized days of Prohibition." Da Silvano's outdoor seating and Karma the hookah bar get nods, plus there's a picture of the new rooftop bar, A60, which is at 60 Thompson and opened on Wednesday.

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By Jen Chung in News on June 5, 2003 7:54 AM

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Austin Thompson

I thought this was pretty funny - at the very least, pretty inventive.

Of all the ways to skirt New York City's ban on smoking in public, using diplomatic immunity is the most novel.

Legal, the upstart cigarette brand by Freedom Tobacco, Inc. whose somewhat ill-timed launch coincided with the start of the city's smoking ban, has appealed to the diplomatic cadre for help. It "will offer free cartons of cigarettes to foreign embassies and consulates that open their doors and extend their diplomatic status to the US smoking community at large."

The company has not received a response yet, but to listen to Patrick Carroll, chief executive, the rejection of its request for diplomatic protection could have dire consequences.

"Americans will soon be forced to scale embassy walls to enjoy a cigarette," he says. "But if our friends from abroad will share their diplomatic status, I'd be happy to ensure that they'll always have something Legal to smoke." Spoken like a true patriot.

jake

this from a guy who once thought a good time was taking a break from smoking weed to light up some crack. what happened to you, homer, i mean j0sh, you used to be cool.

j0sh

in 80 years when cigarette smoking has the same social stigma that chewing tobacco has today, people will most probably look back on 20th century smoking culture as "i can't believe it was normal to do that- what the fuck was wrong with people?". hardly romantic.