Can You Smoke Cigarettes at Concerts and Gigs?

In the past, it may have been normalized to light a cigarette or two while enjoying your favorite acts at music festivals, concerts, and local gigs. Recently, however, people have become more aware of the harms of smoking and the numerous health risks associated with it. 

A Reddit user recently sparked an online debate after getting caught smoking during an indoor concert next to a pregnant woman. While there is certainly the argument that a pregnant woman should prioritize her and her baby’s health over the concert, and could have asked for her or the Reddit poster to be moved, it’s also just basic decency to be aware of how your concert or gig behavior may impact others. Other users also chimed in with rational alternatives to smoking, pointing out that smoking indoors at a concert is “disgusting” and “just an egotistical choice.”

Meanwhile, some concert venues and locations may allow smoking, depending on where you live or what kind of gig it is. When in doubt, it’s always best to inquire with concert organizers or venue management about their smoking policies to avoid uncomfortable situations or getting kicked out before the show starts.

Suppose you follow our website and plan to check out any upcoming tour dates of your favorite bands and artists and consider yourself a smoker. In that case, you should probably consider whether or not your concert venue is smoke-free or if your cigarettes can land you in trouble. Below, we’ll look at why people may enjoy smoking so much during music concerts and gigs and offer some helpful alternatives to help smokers have a good time without exposing half a venue to secondhand smoke:

Smoking and music

While most heavy smokers will tell you that they smoke simply because they want or need to, tobacco and music share a long-standing, decades-old relationship. Anti-smoking nonprofit Truth Initiative wrote about the extent of tobacco imagery in music videos last year. Over the years, cigarettes have become the most heavily featured tobacco product in music videos (70.1% of all tobacco incidents in 2019 and 64.1% of incidents in 2021. Today, many popular music videos from artists like Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and Post Malone feature tobacco imagery while garnering millions of views.

As such, it isn’t hard to imagine that seeing these cigarette depictions repeatedly is fueling the habit for many. Additionally, outdoor music festivals have long been a venue for smokers and music enthusiasts — dating back to the Summer of Love in 1967. 

Aside from venues, smokers may also feel more empowered to light their cigarettes depending on the feel of the venue and the music genre being showcased. A punk rock show, for example, may see more cigarette butts than a popstar stadium concert stop.

Using smokeless alternatives

Fortunately, recent developments in the fight against cigarette smoking and tobacco use shouldn’t wholly bar you from enjoying the occasional concert and gig. To eliminate secondhand smoke and foul odor and avoid making others around you uncomfortable or unsafe, many smokers have turned to smokeless substitutes for traditional cigarettes.

Nicotine pouches have grown popular in recent years among smokers trying to quit the habit. Using nicotine pouches in public is generally more acceptable than smoking or vaping as no heat is needed and, subsequently, no disturbing or smelly smoke is produced. Unlike tobacco products, nicotine pouches are also spit-free and won’t cause you to salivate, making them a convenient and discreet means of accessing nicotine. Nowadays, you can even buy them in multi-packs of different flavors and nicotine strengths to save money if you need to stock up for longer concerts and shows.

Other smokeless alternatives available on the market today include nicotine gums and lozenges, which, like the pouches, are taken orally and won’t be a disturbance to those around you. Considering the benefits and risks of nicotine lozenges, they make a great and convenient option for keeping any cravings and withdrawal symptoms at bay while trying to enjoy your favorite band’s concert. Lozenges may also be easier to consume than gum, and like the pouches, can be easily bought online or over the counter.

Ultimately, while quitting smoking is much easier said than done, it’s important to stay conscious and respect other concertgoers. If you absolutely have to smoke, try to time your cigarettes so that you light them before heading inside a venue rather than in the middle of a crowd. Remember that a concert is a collective experience, and smoking up everyone else’s view of the stage is rude and harmful — both for you and those around you.