Italians 'smoking less'

Italians are smoking less, according to a study released on World No Tobacco Day Thursday. The number of smokers among the over-15s fell 1.9% between 2011 and 2012, from 22.7% to 20.8% of the Italian population, or 10.8 million smokers, the Doxa research institute said. The number of women smokers was 2.8% down. But despite the economic crisis, Doxa said, 76.2% are happily hooked on the weed and rank it as the second-last thing they would give up, after sex. According to another study, from international research group ESPAD, Italian 15-16-year-olds smoked more than the average of their peers in 36 European countries. The government is considering extending a ban on public smoking to parks, gardens, stadiums and the courtyards of hospitals, Health Minister Renato Balduzzi said. Another disincentive would be raising the price of cigarettes by one euro a packet, "but only as a last resort", the minister said.