Smoking Ban Expands in Italy
Smoking will get a little harder next year in Italy, where cigarettes are as common an accessory as a Vespa motorbike or a Fendi handbag.
The Senate passed a bill Saturday banning smoking in most public places. The law takes effect in a year.
The bill, already approved this month by the lower Chamber of Deputies, requires bar and restaurant owners to create separate smoking areas.
Owners failing to enforce the law face up to $2,000 in fines. Individuals who light up face fines of $25 to $250; the amount can double if they smoke near a pregnant woman or child younger than 12.
Smoking is banned in some restaurants, offices and public places, but Italians frequently light up in no-smoking areas.
About 12 million Italians -- or 20% of the population -- smoke, and Health Minister Gerolamo Sirchia has campaigned to get them to quit. He recommended forming a “Vigilance Committee” to keep smoking from being glamorized on TV.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
