Italy's Smoking Ban Plan Meets Resistance

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A cigarette with that Chianti? No more — at least not in most of Italy's restaurants and bars, starting next month.

In this cigarette-loving country, a new law to ban smoking in public places has won support from nonsmokers. Restaurant owners, however, are fuming because it requires them to report diners who flout the law and light up.

They worry their new policing role will sour relations with customers.

"We are being asked to become informers, but we don't want to give up our relation with customers," lamented Edi Sommariva, the director general of the Italian federation that groups bars, restaurants and other public places.

If the law isn't changed, he said Monday, the association will go to court.

The new legislation goes into force Jan. 10. It was originally expected to take effect at the end of this month, but officials agreed to postpone enforcement to allow smokers a few last puffs on New Year's.

"We will not allow any more delays," Health Minister Girolamo Sirchia said over the weekend. "Those who want to smoke can do so in the streets or in their homes, not around those who do not tolerate it."

The legislation is the centerpiece of Sirchia's efforts to curb smoking in Italy. Italian regulations already restrict smoking in many places, although these laws are often ignored and rarely enforced. About 26 percent of the adult population lights up, according to Health Ministry figures.

full article may be found here: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041220/ap_on_re_eu/italy_no_smoking

[SKKY]

1. I smoke, yet I don't really have a problem with this...

...because I can go to a bar that allows smoking. If you don't want to be around smokers, don't go to a place where you'll be subjected to it. I fully support the ban on smoking in restaurants. But bars?

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2. Yeah I agree...

I'm all for it in restaurants, but bars & clubs? C'mon.

[Spangle]

3. Sorta agree

I think there could be a market for resturants that allows smoking. There would be very few who would choose that path.

Yes, smoking is allowed in bars. I never went to them before. But now I go all the time with office workers. Wonder how many are drinking more now then before. Hmmmmm.....

smoking sections don't work.

But this type of ban is just the first step. Next there is a ban for outside places. I know, because there are areas OUT SIDE that i can not smoke. It's against the law. In someplaces, you can't smoke in your car.. if it's parked in a "no-smoking" area. And I'm not talking about a fear of it blowing up.