Mayor Bloomberg's efforts to eradicate cigarette smoking from New York nightlife have brought smokers and nonsmokers head-to-head in a heated debate. It was our mission as a class to explore the mayor's proposed smoking ban through a webzine that addresses and appeals to New York City smokers of all persuasions, from anti-smokers to chain-smokers.

We sought to fairly represent the issue, including perspective pieces from a non-smoker who is sick of dry cleaning the smell of smoke out of her clothes after a night out; a smoker, who begins his feature at a moment in time when he was heckled by a woman and her daughter for peacefully sitting and having a cigarette; and a quitter, who struggles against the temptation of returning to her long-loved habit. Additionally, in tackling an issue that is no stranger to the media, our writers tried to uncover topics that have received, little (if any) coverage, like the legality of buying tax-free cigarettes online, or the ways in which Bloomberg's campaign against smoking might butt heads with his campaign against noise.

In order to make this site an effective resource, we compiled a links library that should serve as a launching pad for anyone interested in conducting further research about this pressing social, cultural, legal and health issue. It is our hope that you will step out of the Smoke Ring with a clearer, more informed idea of where you stand on this issue, and why.


Smoke Ring was created by Jessica O'Brien's Online Reporting class at New York University's Department of Journalism.