People take to streets as Italy stubs out

ITALIANS were taking their smoking breaks on the street yesterday after a law that bans smoking in bars, restaurants, offices and other public spaces came into force.

Minutes after the law came into effect at midnight, a man was fined for smoking in a bar in Naples.

His plea that a cigarette was only normal after a coffee won him no reprieve, and he was fined the minimum penalty of E30.

The law bans smoking in indoor spaces unless they have a separate smoking area with continuous floor-to-ceiling walls and a ventilation system, and is one of the most severe anti-smoking measures in Europe.

Among those fuming at the legislation are bar and restaurant owners who say the rules will deter clients and that they don’t have the time or money to create smoking areas. They have also protested a provision requiring them to report customers who flout the law, saying it is not their job to act as “sheriffs”.

Some smokers claim the rules curb individual rights.

In Milan, an organisation called Polite Smokers threw a smoke-fuelled party titled The Last Cigarette in protest at the law.

Others showed their support for the law by burning piles of cigarettes in the street.

However, some have raised concerns about whether the law will be applied. In Rome consumer group Codacons announced a lunchtime blitz of restaurants to check that the new rules were being enforced.

In a bar in central Rome, waitress Giorgia Pasqualetti complained about having to step onto the street whenever she wanted a smoke.

“When I take a break I risk catching a cold every time,” she said.

“We do not have the space to create a separate smoking room, so the only way to enjoy a cigarette is outside.”

The law, passed in 2002, was originally supposed to take effect on January 1, but Health Minister Girolamo Sirchia granted a delay so as not to spoil New Year’s Eve celebrations and the religious Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.

Sirchia said the law was introduced to protect public health.

“It’s not inspired by the idea of prohibition. It’s to protect against passive smoking.

“Eighty-seven percent of lung tumours are caused by cigarettes,” he said.

Bar and restaurant owners have jibbed at the rule.

Only 5% have introduced special smoking rooms, says FIP, the trade association. The smoking public seem resigned to the inevitable.

“I respect the law because it’s the law,” said Giovanni, an office worker. “But I hope they don’t start pointing the finger at smokers and that things don’t go the way they have in the United States. I hope non-smokers will be tolerant,” he said.

The regulation follows similar bans imposed last year in Ireland and Norway.