The country's government, headed by non-smoking Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, gave smokers a New Year's surprise. On January 10, a law banning smoking in public places came into force throughout the country (this category includes bars, restaurants, discos, hotels and offices). Now in Italy you can smoke only on the street, at home, or in establishments with specially well-ventilated rooms. As Gazeta.GZT.ru notes, for 18 million Italian smokers all this means a drastic change in lifestyle. They will no longer get cups of espresso with a cigarette in their favorite cafes.
War has been declared on smokers, who make up 25% of Italy's population. In this Mediterranean country, where many citizens cannot imagine pleasant leisure without coffee and a cigarette, the police will fine smokers 250 euros for smoking in public places. If a smoker lights up near a pregnant woman or a child under 12, the fine will be 600 euros.
The law hits hardest at the numerous cafes, trattorias, pizzerias and restaurants. Owners of these establishments must equip separate, well-ventilated rooms for smokers or declare the entire establishment a non-smoking area. Under the new law, cafe owners must inform visitors about the smoking ban and immediately report violations to the police. Anyone who turns a blind eye to a violation faces a fine of 2,200 euros and revocation of their license in case of a repeat offense.
"This is a real ‘witch hunt,’ where the witch is not the cigarette but the restaurant owner," says Edi Sommariva, head of the trade union uniting restaurant owners. "They are forcing us to become informants!" Edi Sommariva told Italian journalists that according to the trade union he heads, only 5% of all 240,000 bars and restaurants in Italy have special smoking areas.
It cannot be said that the law banning smoking in public places was adopted unexpectedly. In 2001, smoking was banned in hospitals, movie theaters, airports, offices of public organizations, and railway stations in Italy. After long debates and discussions, the ban on smoking in public places was adopted by deputies of the Italian parliament back in 2002, and the government allowed three years to ensure its implementation.
Notably, the law was supposed to take effect on January 1, but the main anti-smoking fighter, Health Minister Girolamo Sirchia, granted a reprieve so as not to spoil the New Year holidays for adherents of this habit. As a result, the ban came into force on January 10. Shortly after midnight, in a bar in Naples, a police patrol noticed a young man smoking, who was immediately fined.
According to public opinion polls, 83% of Italian citizens welcome the introduction of the new ban. "The majority of the population is already tired of the constant poisoning of smoky air," said Minister Girolamo Sirchia. "Those who want to smoke can do it on the street or at home, but not blow smoke directly into the faces of non-smokers."
War on smokers will also be declared in Vatican territory. The administration of the Holy See announced that it will join the ban on smoking in public places.
However, adherents of smoking intend to defend the right to maintain their habits. They have created the Association of Courteous and Patient Smokers, representing the interests of 18 million people, and intend to gather votes for the repeal of the ban. Even within the Italian government itself, the situation is far from unanimous. "I have been smoking since I was 18. This is my sacred right," the newspaper Corriere della Sera quotes Defense Minister Antonio Martino, who is unhappy with the law.
Meanwhile, the fight against smoking is turning into a pan-European trend. Since March 29, 2004, smoking has been banned in public places in Ireland (and there the fine is much higher than in Italy: the offender must shell out 2,000 British pounds, or 3,000 euros). On May 31, the same law was adopted in Norway. In Bulgaria, which is not yet an EU member, a similar ban came into force on January 1. Bills on a strict smoking ban are being discussed in the parliaments of Great Britain, Portugal and Sweden.