Milan authorities are preparing to introduce a ban on smoking in public places on the street. Smoking will be prohibited at public transport stops, parks, playgrounds and sports grounds, stadiums, cemeteries and at the entrances to public buildings.

From January 2021, the ban will be partial - only those smokers who are 10 meters away from other people will face fines. But from 2025, fines will be issued to everyone, even if a person smokes all alone, Europulse says..

The new law is part of a package of initiatives to improve air quality in Milan. In addition to the ban on smoking, it obliges all gas stations to equip at least one place for refueling electric vehicles, and utilities - to refuse heating with diesel boilers..

The air in Milan often does not meet WHO recommended standards due to the large amount of dust particles that are bad for the health of the respiratory tract.

Milan will be the first major Italian city to ban smoking in all outdoor public areas. Some cities, such as Verona and Bolzano, have fines for smoking in parks, but the ban does not apply to other outdoor public spaces.

The ban on smoking indoors was introduced in Italy in 2005, but it is much less strict than in most European countries..