From January 1, 2025, outdoor smoking will be banned in the Italian city of Milan, with violators facing fines of 40-240 euros unless the smoker is at least 10 meters away from other people.
According to Stiridiasporas on December 14, the Italian city of Milan will ban outdoor smoking from January 1, 2025, unless the smoker is at least 10 meters away from other people.
Details of the ban will be made public by the city of Milan before Christmas. Violators will be fined between 40 and 240 euros.
The ban is part of a series of regulations that have been phased in since 2021. At the time, smoking was banned at bus stops, parks, and sports facilities. The new rules aim to control smoking in public outdoor places where people are densely populated and it is difficult to guarantee a distance of 10 meters.
The decision was controversial. The Italian Tobacco Association has brought the regulation to court, arguing that Milan’s city government has no right to implement the measure and that it should be debated nationwide. At the same time, the association criticized the complexity of implementing the ban in public. The Regional Administrative Court rejected the association’s claim and the association filed a case with the Supreme Court of the State pending a final decision.
The ban is supported by the Green Party (Verzi). However, it is unclear whether all outdoor areas are included in this regulation, and the legal definition of “public space” still needs to be clarified.
