Smoking in Italy

Smoking in Italy has been banned in public places including bars, restaurants, discotheques and offices since 2005.[1] A majority of Italians supported the ban at the time it was first implemented,[1] but there was a lack of support from smokers and some bar owners,[2] and only 5% of bar and restaurant owners immediately introduced separate smoking rooms.[2] Italy was the 4th European country to introduce a smoking bans in public places.[3] However, on 1 August 2005 a judge ruled that business owners could not be punished for not enforcing the law,[3] which is mainly followed in northeastern Italy, and not followed at all in southern Italy.[3] Heart attacks in Italian adults dropped significantly following the implementation of the smoking ban;[4] the decline in heart attacks was attributed to less passive smoking.[5] Health Minister Girolamo Sirchia said that smoking was the leading preventable cause of death in Italy.[2] The ban caused an 8% decrease in cigarette consumption.[6]

See also

By country
Other

References

  1. ^ a b "Smoking Ban Begins in Italy". Deutsche Welle. 10.01.2005. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,1453590,00.html. Retrieved August 2010. 
  2. ^ a b c "Italians fume over cigarette curb". BBC News. 10 January 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4159587.stm. Retrieved August 2010. 
  3. ^ a b c "Italian Smoking Ban". The Smoking Ban. 2008. http://www.thesmokingban.org/italy.php. Retrieved 2010. 
  4. ^ "Heart Attacks Decreased After Public Smoking Ban In Italy". ScienceDaily. Feb. 12, 2008. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211172539.htm. Retrieved 2010. 
  5. ^ Kahn, Michael (Feb 11, 2008). "Heart attacks drop after Italy's smoking ban: study". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL1114668320080211. Retrieved August 2010. 
  6. ^ Dobson, Roger (19 November 2005). "Italy’s ban on smoking in public places has led to 8% drop in consumption". BMJ. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7526/1159-a/DC1. Retrieved 2010.