ITALY: A proposal by the health minister to make incentive payments to non-smoking teachers and to penalise colleagues who smoke has provoked a chorus of dissent from the unions.
Speaking at a press conference to present the European week against cancer, Girolamo Sirchia said that the idea was to dissuade teachers from “setting a bad example”.
Although smoking is banned in schools and other public institutions, the rule is frequently flouted. A few years ago, the consumer organisation Codacons made a series of incursions into schools to draw attention to the large numbers of teachers smoking in corridors.
Leaders of teachers’ unions have labelled the proposal“absurd”, “grotesque”, and“chilling”.
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