Italy's fourth largest city, Turin, has imposed a new smoking ban. This applies, among other things, if there are other people within a five meter radius.
Turin – People smoking on the streets of Italy. The smell of cigarettes is almost part of the holiday experience. But more and more places in Italy are taking action against the harmful glow. Now Turin, the country's fourth largest city (after Rome, Milan and Naples), is taking another drastic step.
The Turin city council has just approved a change to the city police regulations, as the
Ansa
news agency and the Turin newspaper
La Stampa
unanimously report. With the innovation in Police Regulation 221, smoking or vaping outdoors is now prohibited if there is another person within five meters.
Major Italian city imposes far-reaching smoking ban
The city council approved Councilor Silvio Viale's request without any dissenting votes. So far, Italy's fourth largest city has only been banned from children's playgrounds. According to the new regulation, smoking is now prohibited in the presence of children or pregnant women. In addition, the smoking ban applies in any outdoor location if people are closer than five meters to the person smoking and have not expressly permitted smoking. In this respect, smoking is only allowed if people close to you have previously specifically asked whether smoking is okay.
The ban applies not only to cigarettes, but also to cigars, pipes, heated tobacco such as the IQOS system, all combustion products and electronic cigarettes.
Smoking ban in Turin: “A rule of common sense”
The smoking ban is “a rule of common sense and respect for others,” Turin mayor Stefano Lo Russo told
Ansa
. It’s about “respecting those who don’t smoke.” In addition, the new rule is an opportunity to “promote a culture of mutual respect,” he explains. Turin is not the first city in Italy to adopt such a regulation, Lo Russo continued. He believes that other cities will follow suit. Of course, sanctions are also provided for violations. But the mayor hopes that his citizens will use “common sense” when it comes to the rule.
In fact, Turin is not the first city in Italy to impose such a smoking ban. Milan has already introduced a similar ban in 2021. It applies to open spaces such as parks, train stations, cemeteries and tram stops as well as within a radius of ten meters. The municipality of Modena followed suit with a similar ban in 2021. Milan will extend its ban to all public areas in 2025. And there has also been a smoking ban on the beach in Bibione for years.
The initiator of the Turin regulation, Silvio Viale, hopes that the ban will have positive health consequences. He also hopes that fewer cigarette butts end up on the ground in the city. Action has been taken against this nuisance on Italian beaches for a long time. A holidaymaker had to pay around 200 euros because he carelessly threw away his cigarette on the beach.