Milan imposes one of Europe's toughest smoking bans

The city of Milan has banned smoking outside in public from the start of 2025 in an effort to protect public health and tackle air pollution.

The ban covers outdoor areas in bars, parks and even streets. The local municipality says that the new rules will restrict smokers to only isolated areas outside.

"We need to improve the quality of the air and we will do it in all contexts, so the new rules ask you to keep at least 10 meters from other citizens to be able to smoke," Milan vice-mayor Anna Scavuzzo told CGTN.

Transgressors can be fined by police, with penalties ranging from $40 to $250. Electronic cigarettes are exempt from the ban.

Milan suffers from smog and air pollution problems in winter. The mountains surrounding it to the west and north block wind from the Atlantic Ocean, helping pollutants to accumulate and exacerbating air problems.

The nearby Po Valley in the industrial heart of Italy is one of the worst areas in Europe for air pollution, with Milan one of the most polluted cities: air quality and pollution limits in the city do not comply with EU and WHO regulations.

The city uses traffic restrictions to try to limit emissions when smog and pollutant levels are high – but according to Lombardy's regional environmental protection agency, smoking is responsible for 7 percent of emissions.

The smoking ban builds on restrictions outlawing smoking in parks, public transport stops and playgrounds that were first introduced in 2021.

The new measures are the strictest imposed in Italy and among the most stringent in Europe – and they haven't met with universal approval. 

Confcommercio, a confederation representing over 700,000 businesses in Italy, says although smoking is bad for public health and everyone should collaborate to protect the environment, it will be difficult for businesses to enforce the new rules on customers.

"This provision proposes bans in public spaces and causes a nuisance for establishments. It does not achieve the municipality's main objective, which is improving public health," said Marco Barbieri, Secretary General of Confcommercio Milan.

Next February, Milan co-hosts the 2026 Winter Olympics with Cortina d'Ampezzo. The smoking ban will also apply to tourists and visitors to the games. But for now, it's locals who are having to get used to the new rules.