Italian smokers forced onto the streets

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

Minutes after the law went into effect at midnight, a young 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 €30.

The new 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 new rules will deter clients and that they don’t have the time or money to create sealed-off smoking areas. They have also protested a provision requiring them to report on customers who flout the law, saying it is not their job to act as “sheriffs.”

Some smokers claim that the new rules curb individual rights.

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

Others showed their support for the new 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.

“Now 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.”

Health Minister Girolamo Sirchia, a reformed smoker who brought in the law, warned that “the police are not joking, they can enter anywhere, including private offices.”

However, in the first two months officials would focus on prevention and education, he said, with no sanctions “except in extreme cases.”

According to the Health Ministry figures, about 26% of Italians are smokers.