Smokeasy (also spelled smoke-easy or smokeeasy) is a term which came briefly into use in the wake of government-imposed smoking bans in businesses. It refers to bars and other venues that encourage evasion of the ban. The term has also been used to describe locations and events promoted by tobacco companies to avoid or evade bans on smoking.[1] The word was added to the New Oxford American Dictionary in 2005,[2] although it was used as early as 1978.[3][4] It is a portmanteau of smoking and speakeasy. As smoking bans have become generally accepted, the term has fallen into disuse.
High levels of compliance with smoke-free laws have been reported in most jurisdictions including New York,[5] Ireland,[6] Italy[7] and Scotland.[8] Poor compliance was reported in Kolkata.[9]
- ^ "Peter Stuyvesant's Adelaide Smokeasy | The Enthusiast". Archived from the original on 2010-05-06.
- ^ "New Words," Chicago Tribune, June 5, 2005.
- ^ Melinda Beck, "No Smoking," Newsweek, October 2, 1978
- ^ Wordspy: Smoke-easy
- ^ "tobaccofreecenter.org" (PDF).
- ^ "Record compliance with smoking ban – The Irish Times – Mon, 22 Jun 2009". 6 June 2009.
- ^ "Times Higher Education – Italian smoking ban leads to drop in heart attacks". 2006-10-03.
- ^ "Smoking ban gets seal of public approval" (Press release). Scottish Government. 26 June 2006. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013.
- ^ "Smoking ban up in smoke in Kolkata". 24 February 2009.