Be careful when grabbing the glow stick! It can also get expensive in our favorite southern holiday destinations – a ‘Krone’ fact check.
Smokers in the Italian city of Turin must keep a distance of five meters from non-smokers outside, otherwise they will face a hefty fine of 100 euros! The city fathers of the Italian metropolis with its fantastic Alpine panorama, which is popular with tourists, have caused a stir throughout Europe with the new rule.
And that is why many smoking compatriots who may be planning a short holiday abroad with the long weekends just around the corner: Beware, nasty traps for vice lurk in our favorite neighboring countries!
Popular Adriatic beach Bibione, no smoking
There has also been an absolute smoking ban for several years on Austria’s most popular “bathtub”, Bibione and some other Italian Adriatic beaches. Anyone who is still glowing pays 50 euros. Reminder: Smoking is prohibited from the water to the last row of parasols, including within the furnished areas. Smoking is allowed at kiosks and areas behind the umbrellas. The same applies to more and more beaches on the Spanish Balearic archipelagos of Mallorca and Ibiza. The prohibited zones are marked with signs, QR codes and flags.
If you don’t comply, it will be quite expensive: fines of up to 2,000 euros can be imposed. And anyone who throws a Tschick stump into the sea on the Canary Islands, for example, pays 1,800 euros. The wage for this in “Bella Italia” is 300 euros. The Italian authorities also show no mercy when it comes to smoking in the car: anyone who smokes in the car with children will pay a fine, just like in Austria.
Even at home it can be very expensive
In this country, for example in Vienna, “pollution in public spaces” with a cigarette can cost 50 euros for an organ mandate and up to 2,000 euros for a complaint. Ignoring the smoking ban in restaurants can sometimes be even more expensive: a fine of up to 1,000 euros for the guest and 2,000 euros for the innkeeper.
Restrictions on e-cigarettes in Sweden
The same goes for Paris and the rest of France: smoking in public has been severely restricted there since 2023 and protections for non-smokers are becoming increasingly clear. Smoking is prohibited on all public French beaches, in parks, forests and near schools. Violations result in hefty fines of up to 450 euros.
Sweden also takes rigorous measures against smokers. Even smoking in front of the bars is prohibited there. Bus stops and platforms are taboo anyway. This also applies to e-cigarettes. Smoking is now frowned upon in the Scandinavian country. “It is best not to start smoking at all,” advises Professor Josef Niebauer of the University Hospital of Salzburg.
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.
