Chain smoking in Italy
Sharing your smoking habit is not being sociable
Smoking is a way of life in Italy. Everyone smokes - more or less
continuously. The message that smoking is dangerous for your health has
gaily passed by this land of pasta, wine and olive oil. In fact, my
theory is that it is this urban legend of the 'Olivio' culture that we
see on TV's that anaesthetises the dangers of cigarettes.
We have had contractors in our house and it has got to the stage where
we have had to threaten them with a fine for smoking inside before they
took us seriously. The stunned look you get when you object is
priceless. The concept that they are doing something which might give
offence is so alien as to be wholly incomprehensible. Unfortunately our
garden is now littered with cigarette butts - another casualty of this
unpleasant addiction.
It's not just manual workers who smoke - teenagers going to college in
the morning are rarely to be seen without a lighted object between their
lips. The 'No Smoking' signs on public transport disappear in the blue
haze of cigarette smoke but no-one thinks to object; that just isn't the
way.
Most people use the numerous bars to make their purchases and one
located in the middle of a village or other built-up area will see a
constant stream of smokers passing through its door from when it opens
(often before 6am) to closing time (about 2am) with people buying 2 or 3
packets at a time (the average daily consumption or so it would appear).
Most women smoke seemingly oblivious to the danger that tobacco smoke
causes to their children who, likely as not, are busy passively
acquiring the habit ready for their first purchases of the drug as a
teenager.
It's no good looking to the medical profession for advice and counsel.
When I went into hospital recently, I came out the back way from
Casualty to be met by a gaggle of doctors and surgeons all puffing
frantically to get the most out of their smoking break.
On that subject, why should we pay smokers for these unofficial breaks?
If you are a chain smoker like many here, then the time lost to the
habit is not inconsiderable. Can I have 10 minutes off every hour to
read a book or watch a TV programme I recorded? No, I didn't think so.
OK, so it should be obvious that I am not a smoker and I am not against
people who smoke - I just object to being forced into joining them with
passive smoking.
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