The law in Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, goes further than the recently adopted one in Naples, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. In Verona, parks are becoming totally smoke-free, while in Naples the ban applies only in areas where children play or if the smoker is around a child or a nursing or pregnant woman.

Verona Mayor Flavio Tosi said that the city has received many complaints that smokers are putting children at risk. Many people are concerned because smokers hold their cigarettes at about the height of a child's

head.

''There are no ifs or buts to this plan, because it's vital that children are completely protected from passive smoking, without relying on tricky and questionable calculations over how far away they are from smokers,'' Tosi said.

Fines for lighting up in the wrong place have been set at 25 euros ($37) up to 500 euros (almost $7,500).