Toronto Pearson (YYZ) is strict about smoking, and the single most important thing to know is that there is no smoking area once you pass security. Both cigarettes and e-cigarettes are allowed only in designated outdoor areas, all of them before security or outside the terminal. This guide covers every Toronto Pearson airport smoking option, where the outdoor areas are, and what a smoke means for a connecting passenger.
No smoking once you are airside
Once you are through security, Toronto Pearson has no indoor or airside smoking area at all. If you have a long layover and need to smoke or vape, you have to leave the secure area, go to an outdoor designated spot, and then clear security again, which usually takes 15 to 25 minutes. Plan for that time if you intend to step out.
Designated outdoor areas
You may only light up in the marked outdoor zones at the curbside. In Terminal 1 these sit on Level 1 (Arrivals) and Level 3 (Departures), and in Terminal 3 on the Arrivals and Departures levels. Look for the signs near the exits. The airport has around a dozen of these designated areas in total, so there is usually one close to whichever door you use.
How long a smoke break really takes
Leaving the secure area for a cigarette is a bigger commitment at Toronto Pearson than at airports with airside lounges. Once you step out to a curbside area and want to return, you go through the full security screening again, which typically runs 15 to 25 minutes and can be longer at peak times. As a rule of thumb, only leave airside to smoke if you have at least 90 minutes to two hours before boarding. Keep your boarding pass and passport ready for re-entry, and check the queue times in the Toronto Pearson app before you commit. If your gate is in a different terminal from where you exit, the free LINK train between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 runs around the clock, but it adds time. For shorter layovers, the practical choice is to skip the smoke and pick up nicotine gum or pouches at one of the airside convenience shops instead.
Vaping and cannabis
E-cigarettes follow exactly the same rule as cigarettes: they are not allowed indoors and may be used only in the outdoor designated areas. Cannabis is stricter still, and you cannot smoke or vape it anywhere on airport grounds, indoors or outdoors, so the designated areas do not help for that.
Smoking on a layover: the catch
This is where Toronto Pearson catches connecting passengers out. Because there is nothing airside, a smoke on a layover means exiting to a curbside area and then re-screening. On a domestic or arriving trip that is doable if you have time. As an international transit passenger who has not cleared customs into Canada, you cannot reach the outdoor areas at all, so you should plan for a smoke-free wait. In either case, nicotine gum, pouches or patches are the practical backup once you are airside.
Rules and enforcement
The airport enforces the policy. Public safety officers and curbside staff will ask anyone smoking outside a designated area to stop and move to the proper zone. Sticking to the marked areas, and keeping clear of the doors, avoids both a warning and a possible fine.
Tips for smokers at YYZ
- Have your cigarette before you go through security, since there is no option once you are airside.
- If you must leave airside to smoke, budget 15 to 25 minutes to clear security again.
- Use only the marked curbside areas on the Arrivals and Departures levels, and stay clear of the doors.
- Do not smoke or vape cannabis anywhere on airport grounds.
- For a long airside wait, carry nicotine gum, pouches or patches.
For connection planning, read our Toronto Pearson layover guide, and for an overview of the building see our Toronto Pearson airport guide.
At a glance: where you can smoke at YYZ
| Location | Area | Can you smoke? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor curbside areas (T1 Levels 1 and 3, T3 arrivals and departures) | Landside | Yes | About a dozen marked zones, keep clear of the doors |
| After security | Airside | No | None at all, you must exit and re-screen (15 to 25 min) |
| International transit (not cleared into Canada) | Airside | No | Cannot reach the outdoor areas, plan a smoke-free wait |
| Vaping | Outdoor areas only | Yes, outdoor only | Banned indoors |
| Cannabis | Anywhere on airport grounds | No | Not allowed indoors or outdoors |
Frequently asked questions
Is there a smoking area after security at Toronto Pearson?
Where can I smoke at Toronto Pearson Airport?
Can I vape at YYZ?
Can I smoke cannabis at Toronto Pearson?
How long does it take to leave and re-enter security to smoke?
Sources: Toronto Pearson (GTAA) designated smoking and vaping area information; airport smoking guides. Image: "Terminal 1, Toronto Pearson International Airport, angled view" by Daniel Case, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Disclaimer: smoking-area locations and rules can change. Verify current details before you travel.
