Tobacco lovers hide from persecution in special shelters Following America, which is suffering from obesity, the Old World has also joined the fight for a healthy lifestyle. The first victims of a healthy lifestyle, of course, were smokers. One after another, European countries began to ban smoking, first in schools, then in workplaces, and then on the streets. In Italy, a smoking ban law adopted exactly a year ago has already led to a reduction in the number of smokers by half a million people.