CC-Villas - Blog

As has been reported a law is being implemented (some say from today onward) that forbids smoking in restaurants, bars etc., unless they have a separate room with its own ventilation system. Not only smokers are in a state of open fury; even more so are the owners of these places who are simply unable to provide the necessary infrastructure. The law foresees they should even denounce those who break the new law; otherwise they themselves would be fined with high sums at stake. Imagine he would have to do so with his oldest friends or guests who have frequented his place for decades, his next door neighbour.
Now, we all know things are not always taken so serious – “tanto fumo, poco arrosto” (much noise for nothing) is an old Italian saying, quite suited for the situation we are facing. Most probably there will soon be a “one-man-smoker’s-helmet” on the market with “exhaust pipe” long enough to reach the next door. In one way or the other these truly genius people will find a way to escape from the imminent threat.
The law the Health minister has imposed has its high ranking opponents even in the Government itself: The Defence minister has accused the law to be completely out of proportion and violating the right of private property (or better: self determination). Rightly so he states smoking should be “fought” through education, not by law and enforcement.
Now one can expect there will be (at least in the beginning) real “raids”, hot (only verbal?) fights and in the end arrests as the smokers are not willing to follow like lambs and simply accept the new law, and the owners of restaurants etc. won’t do either. Most probably some owners of restaurants and bars will declare their places entire and exclusive “smoking area,” quite understandably as for them it is becoming a question of financial survival; they would thus not only circumvent the law, but rather put it “ad absurdum”; I am convinced these places would be overcrowded and even make a good bargain. The remote hope of some owners more non smokers would come to their restaurants now than smokers would be lost seems to be a more than childish illusion in this country.
Up to now things have been dealt with (Health minister apart) in a most liberal way: smokers and non smokers have always found nice and gentle ways and solutions. The almost fundamentalist approach of the Health minister does not match the Italian way of living. It is simply a mistake to try and impose other countries’ regulations against smoking and smokers (some of which close to “inquisition” and witch hunting) in Italy, a country where purism, fanaticism and missionary handling of individuals simply do not fit and will not work, a country that finds its charm in its “laissez faire” and the multifaceted cohabitation of all – a country which is doing extremely well in this way. The number of tourists even from countries where smokers face severe problems and are being looked at as outlaws has not decreased a bit, in Rome’s centro storico or in Trastevere North Americans and Scandinavians have lots of fun amidst the many smoking local people; most obviously they do not feel all too bad or disgusted, otherwise they would not frequent these places, would they?
Let us also keep in mind the poor policeman who has to do the nightly checks in restaurants: not only will he have to face a lot of trouble and angry words, the poor guy will always have to through away his cigarette before entering the place. Will cost him a lot of money. He might wish to check a “smokers only” place once in a while…