News from the frontlines in the war against smoke, and smokers, here in Italy is relatively subdued. Fines have been few, and the streets are crowded with smokers. It may just be coincidence, but Bologna has been obscured by fog for the last couple of days!
Of course there are some exceptions to the rule. Various voices in the lead up to the ban suggested that the police would have enough problems in Napoli, and Bari, where there has been ongoing gang warfare with frequent murders and shootouts of late, without having to persuade reluctant Dons to extinguish their cigars. There’s often a touch of racism when the South gets discussed in the North, so it was with a certain amusement (and, naturally, disapproval) that I greeted the news that the first violent opposition recorded to the ban came not from the South, but from that most civilised of cities, Bologna!
In the early hours of Tuesday morning a man in a city centre pizzeria was asked by the staff to put out his cigarette, in accordance with the law. A heated argument took place, during which the smoking customer drew a pistol! There were no injuries, and the only things fired were strong insults (The Corriere della Sera emphasised that the staff member was of Bangladeshi origin, while the offending/offensive customer was Italian). The Police are investigating.
Meanwhile, as happened in Ireland last year, a number of parliamentarians have been found in contravention of the law in Government buildings. Most are using a common defense that many have seen fit to use over the last few days – that they had simply forgotten about the new law, smoking out of force of habit.
The leader of the Comunisti Italiani, Oliviero Diliberto has made it clear, according to the Corriere della Sera his intention to continue smoking indoors – as a form of non-violent protest against a law that seeks to impose health on citizens. Often, to the horror of centre/right leaning friends, I find Diliberto a voice of reason – but it would seem here that he’s lost the plot. This Monkey doesn’t smoke tobacco, and has no strong opinions on the ban, but in 2005 it’s ridiculous to suggest that smoking in public is a personal choice – smoke knows no boundaries political or physical. Strange that a communist should take to defending the rights of the individual, when it coincides with a personal vice…