Romania’s Cluj-Napoca moves closer to banning smoking in playgrounds and parks

Cluj-Napoca, the city in Romania with some of the highest rents and a fast-growing IT industry, is closer to banning smoking in playgrounds and parks after mayor Emil Boc expressed his support for the measure.

The mayor cited the prioritization of public health as the reason behind such a ban. He mentioned that he has already begun studying the legal framework to assess the feasibility of implementing the regulation locally.

If implemented, this initiative could make Cluj-Napoca the first city in Romania to ban smoking in playgrounds and parks.

Boc emphasized that smoking restrictions not only protect public health but also help reduce the number of cigarettes smoked by individuals.

"I have observed, and many smokers have told me, that when the spaces where they can smoke are restricted, they are inevitably forced to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke, leading to better health. It becomes easier to quit smoking or avoid starting if there are fewer places to smoke, but without a total ban on smoking. [...] This would benefit everyone, including smokers. Smoking half a pack instead of a full pack is significant progress," Boc added, cited by local news outlet Cluj24.ro.

The statements come as Milan, one of Italy's largest cities, adopted strict measures against smoking in public spaces as of January 1. The city forbade smoking outdoors unless at least 10 meters away from other people, with fines of up to EUR 240 for non-compliance. Milan banned smoking bans in playgrounds, parks, bus stops, and similar areas in 2021.

Some 19% of Italians smoke, according to the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) based on 2023 data, lower than the 24% average within the European Union. Roughly 20% of Romanians smoke every day. The fewest smokers are in Sweden, Iceland, and Finland.

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