Travel

Italians Shut Down Plan to Make Venice a Smoke-Free City

UP IN SMOKE

The proposal to implement a city-wide ban like Tokyo was met with backlash by gondoliers, shopkeepers and local citizens who don't want to kick the habit.

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Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

The picturesque city of Venice will remain an open-air ashtray after the city’s mayor Luigi Brugnaro mooted his own plan to ban outdoor smoking in the city. Brugnaro introduced legislation after a visit to Tokyo, which is one of the world’s most successful examples of a smoke-free city. But Brugnaro was met with resistance from gondoliers, shop keepers and Venetian citizens who feel any smoking ban should just apply to tourists. Brugnaro says he will now consider implementing smoke-free zones in only the most heavily-trafficked tourist areas of the popular destination city.

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