More restrictions

These penalties await smokers on vacation

There are smoke-free sections on Italian Adriatic beaches. Those who do not comply must pay a fine.

(Bild: Rojsek-Wiedergut Uta)

Be careful when picking up a cigarette! Even in our favorite holiday destinations in the south, it can be expensive - a "Krone" fact check.

Smokers in the Italian city of Turin must keep a distance of five meters from non-smokers outdoors, otherwise they will be fined a hefty 100 euros! The city fathers of the Italian metropolis, which is popular with tourists and boasts a fantastic Alpine panorama, have caused a stir throughout Europe with the new rule.

And that's why many smokers who are planning a short vacation abroad during the long weekends that are just around the corner should be careful: nasty fine traps for vaping lurk in our favorite neighboring countries!

The Italian city of Turin is cracking down on smokers in public who don't keep their distance.

(Bild: AFP)

Popular Adriatic beach Bibione smoking ban zone
Austria's most popular "bathtub", Bibione, and some other Italian Adriatic beaches have also had an absolute smoking ban in place for several years. Anyone who smokes anyway pays 50 euros. As a reminder: Smoking is prohibited from the water to the last row of sunshades, i.e. also within the designated areas. However, smoking is permitted at kiosks and areas behind the parasols. The same applies to more and more beaches on the Spanish Balearic island groups of Mallorca and Ibiza. The no-smoking zones are marked with signs, QR codes and flags.

Bans on smoking

• Throwing cigarettes on the ground can be expensive abroad. Up to 135 euros in France.
• Many beaches in Italy, Spain and France are smoke-free. Anyone who smokes anyway will be asked to pay. Fines of 50 euros or more are possible.
• In the Italian city of Turin, smokers must keep a distance of five meters from non-smokers. Otherwise you will be fined 100 euros!
• In most EU countries, it is forbidden to smoke in the car if minors are also on board.

If you don't comply, it gets really expensive: fines of up to 2,000 euros can be imposed. And anyone who throws a Chick stub into the sea in the Canary Islands, for example, will pay 1800 euros. In "Bella Italia" you have to pay 300 euros. The Italian authorities also have no mercy when it comes to smoking in the car: anyone who smokes with children in the car pays a fine, just like in Austria.

It can also be very expensive at home
In Vienna, for example, "littering in public places" with a cigarette can cost 50 euros for an organ mandate and up to 2000 euros for a complaint. Disregarding the smoking ban in restaurants can be even more expensive: up to 1,000 euros in fines for the guest and 2,000 euros for the landlord.

Restrictions on e-cigarettes in Sweden
The situation is similar in Paris and the rest of France, where smoking in public has been severely restricted since 2023 and non-smoker protection is becoming increasingly stringent. Smoking is banned on all French public beaches, in parks, forests and near schools. There are hefty fines of up to 450 euros for violations.

Sweden is also cracking down on smokers. Even smoking in front of pubs is prohibited there. Bus stops and train platforms are taboo anyway. This also applies to e-cigarettes. Smoking is now frowned upon in the Scandinavian country. "It's best not to start smoking at all," recommends Professor Josef Niebauer from Salzburg University Hospital.