Metro

E-asy, riders: No smokeless cigs on the LIRR

Riders should think twice before “lighting up” an e-cigarette on the Long Island Rail Road.

A commuter watchdog group recently reached out to the LIRR to clear up confusion as to whether passengers can use the smoke-free, kick-the habit aids on trains, and learned that the practice is actually forbidden.

Mark Epstein, chair of the Long Island Rail Road Commuter’s Council, sent a letter to the LIRR asking for its policy on electronic cigarettes.

He was told on Friday that the railroad’s lawyers looked closely at legislation passed in Albany in 2011 that made it illegal to smoke on a train, a platform or a station — and that the legislation includes a ban on electronic cigarettes.

The law, which went into effect in November 2011, explicitly forbids not just cigarettes and cigars, but also tobacco alternatives.

“Our lawyers have looked closely at the legislation and believe that the law covers e-cigarettes, as well as all kinds of tobacco substitutes,” said LIRR spokesman Salvatore Arena.

The LIRR said it will update its rules and regulations on the MTA Web site so as to clear up any confusion.

No one has been given a ticket so far for trying to use an electronic cigarette on a train or at a station.