Smokers in Italy are in turmoil. The reason: smoking outside could soon be banned in our neighboring country. And innovations are also rolling in Austria – albeit slowly.
The details of the change should have been kept secret for longer, but have now been leaked to the daily newspaper “La Stampa”. And there are some restrictions that Health Minister Orazio Schillaci wants to enforce in Italy. For example, the existing smoking ban will be extended to the outdoor areas of bars and restaurants.
In any case, smoking is only allowed in separate areas. Smoking areas are prohibited. Smoking lounges at airports will also be abolished. Smoking at public transport stops and in parks is also prohibited. This also applies to e-cigarettes.
Now a debate has flared up that not only calls smokers onto the scene. Deputy Prime Minister and head of the right-wing populist ruling Lega party, Matteo Salvini, who quit smoking in 2019, considers the ban on e-cigarettes outdoors “excessive”. “They help people give up regular cigarettes,” he says.
In Austria, too, an amendment to the Tobacco and Non-Smoking Act is “in the final vote”, according to the Ministry of Health. It provides for an extension of the smoking ban throughout Austria to “public outdoor areas”, such as “children’s playgrounds and recreational areas for children and young people”.
Nicotine pouches at the center of the new prohibitions
The existing smoking ban in cars with children will be expanded so that drivers can be held accountable. There is also a provision for nicotine pouches. They are packed with vegetable fibers and aromas and are especially popular with young people.
Many countries already combat addiction with their smoking laws. Some are more successful with it, others less successful:
- New Zealand now bans the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2008.
- France introduced the strictest regulations in comparison. Smoking is prohibited without exception at train stations, bus stops and airports, as well as in pubs, parks and wooded areas.
- Greece ranks last in Europe when it comes to smoking bans. Regardless of age, more than half of men and about 40 percent of women smoke. Prohibitions are hardly observed.
- Croatia has already relaxed the complete ban on smoking in public buildings and restaurants. Smoking areas were allowed again under certain conditions.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
