Cigarettes have long been associated with fashion so much so that they remain an occasional feature of runways. Smoking, like the color black, seems to never go out of style in the fashion world.
But stylish or not, as of Jan. 1, 2025, smoking is outlawed in “all public spaces, including streets” in Milan, Italy’s financial and fashion capital, meaning anyone who lights up outside faces fines between $41 and $249 (€40 – €240).
The move marks the toughest smoking ban in Italy, where nearly a quarter of the population smokes, according to the country’s health ministry.
The only exception is when people are in isolated places at least 10 meters from other people.
The ban, which does not include vapes or electronic cigarettes, is part of a clampdown focused more on pollution than health, according to the city council, which passed a clean air bill in 2020 that included strict bans on smoking, responsible for 7% of all emissions in Milan and its suburbs.
The complete ban on smoking outdoors is the second part of the clean air strategy, which started with banning lighting up in playgrounds, bus stops and outdoor sport facilities in 2021.
The bill is meant to “improve the quality of the city’s air, to protect the health of citizens, including protection from passive smoking in public places.”
While the ban started at midnight Jan. 1, officials did not arrest any revelers, Milan police said.
Lino Stoppani, president of public business federation Fipe Confcommercio called the ban “symbolic” and hard to enforce since business owners are not compelled to do so.
“Without adequate controls, the ordinances risk remaining measures aimed more at raising awareness than at solving. The positive aspect is that public businesses are not imposed the role of ‘carabinieri’, leaving the burden of checks to the competent authorities,” Stoppani said in a statement, referring to local police.
“This is a provision with several critical issues. For us it is a provision that will not have the desired effects, it has some regulatory weaknesses, it probably also creates a bit of confusion in its application, but we are not making a battle out of it.”
The ban will impact attendees of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in 2026.
Smoking has been prohibited in all public indoor spaces in Italy since 2005, and several cities have added additional regulations, though implementation is rare.
In Turin, it is forbidden to smoke in front of children or pregnant women while outside. In Rome, many restaurants allow smoking at outdoor tables and all major Italian airports have smoking rooms inside the terminals.