Smokers in Milan, Italy Risk Fines as City Enacts Tough Ban
Starting Wednesday, smokers in Milan, Italy’s financial and fashion capital, face fines for lighting up on city streets or in crowded public areas. The ban, which was passed in 2020 by the city council, aims to reduce particulates in the air and protect public health.
Smokers who defy the ban can be fined between 40 to 240 euros ($41 to $249), a punishment that not all residents agree with. Morgan Ishak, a local plumber, called the ban “excessive,” saying it limits personal freedom. However, many others support the measure, including non-smoker Stellina Lombardo, who believes it will help reduce pollution and improve air quality.
The ban applies to all public spaces, including streets, except for isolated areas where people can maintain a distance of at least 10 meters from others. The measure comes ahead of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and aims to improve the quality of the city’s air and protect citizens’ health.
Italy has a history of tobacco control measures, with the country’s first national smoking ban implemented in 1975. However, smoking rates remain high, with 19 percent of Italians smoking, according to the National Institute of Statistics. The country’s health ministry attributes 93,000 deaths per year to smoking, which is responsible for 85 percent of all cases of lung cancer.
The European Union has seen a trend of stricter smoking laws, with 17 countries passing smoke-free legislation. The United Kingdom has also proposed a ban on smoking by young people, aiming to create a “smoke-free generation.”
