Ireland made history in 2004 when it banned smoking in indoor workplaces, but Milan has now gone a step further.
As of this week, the Italian city has banned smoking in most open-air public areas - including the likes of parks, bus stops and stadiums.
A number of exemptions are in place, including for those who light up in isolated spots or anyone using e-cigarettes.
The city council says the aim of the wide-ranging ban is to reduce harmful particles being released into the air and protect citizens against the dangers of passive smoking.
Fines of up to €240 will be gradually introduced for those in breach of the new rules, with the aim of totally banning all outdoor smoking by 2025.
On today's Lunchtime Live, Andrea asked the question - is that sort of ban something Ireland should also be considering?
John Mallon is from smokers’ group Forest Ireland, and he told the show he’d opposed any such measure.
He said: “I think it’s silly, but more importantly there isn’t any scientific evidence to back up a ban on outdoor smoking anywhere… all of the evidence against smoking has been indoors.
“Smoke is warm and it rises - so it rises up and out of the way. Add a little bit of wind and it’s gone.
“Passive smoking isn’t an issue in the outdoors… at all. Full stop.
“This is just a decision [from] somebody who doesn’t like smoking - doesn’t like to see it or doesn’t like the smell of it.”
Some other callers agreed it would be a ‘bridge too far’ for Ireland, suggesting it particularly wouldn’t work in a city like Dublin.
However, another caller named John said he’d welcome any move that would stop people smoking.
He said: “I mean, the misery it causes: the amount of deaths every year… the chronic emphysema… how many hospital beds are taken up every year?
“I don’t want to see anyone suffer, and people do suffer from cigarettes.
“There are people going into a shop and buying a product off the shelf which says ‘this will kill you younger… you’ll get heart disease… you’ll get cancer’”.
