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Hard times for Italian smokers Vietato Fumare
[Renee Gross]
You’ll see them lingering on the curbside. If you manage to catch their gaze you’ll notice that they congregate with winced faces just outside open doorways. More recently they’ve been forced to brave the elements: wind, rain, sleet, and snow. Who exactly are these people with a renewed affinity for the outdoors? Why they are the exiled smokers of Italy. As of January 10, 2005 the Italian Government introduced one of the toughest laws in all of Europe against smoking in public places, including restaurants, bars, trains, and taxis. Since twenty-four percent of Italians above the age of fourteen smoke regularly, this change is one that leaves many out on the streets and restaurant owners fuming. For eateries that wish to accommodate smokers a separate area with continuous floor-to-ceiling walls and ventilation system are required. However, small business owners are the ones that are really suffering under this new legislation; they are faced with swallowing expensive installation fees or losing profits by shutting their doors to cigarette-puffing clientele.
Da Pepe’s Pizzeria on Via Pacinotti is one of few places in Florence that has made the necessary adjustments, offering a spacious family dining experience. For the bar scene, Bounty Pub on Via Aretina and Black Molly Pub on Via San Lavagnini, are other alternatives. Any brave souls who choose to flaunt the law may be faced with fines of up to 360€, while owners of the premises risk penalties as high as 2,904e.
Despite constant grumbling from Florentines, the new law is the first step towards healthier lifestyles and becoming more socially conscious in public. Italian Health Minister, Girolamo Sirchia, took a hard line when discussing this controversy, “Those who want to smoke can do it in the streets, not around those who cannot tolerate being poisoned.” As temperatures rise and spring approaches officials expect greater acceptance from Italians currently craving their nicotine fix during brisker winter months.
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