Simone is nine years old. On Saturday, in between playing football, sitting down for a big family lunch and watching a spot of television, he spent the day smoking, like almost all his friends and the rest of the town.

Six-year-old Lorenzo has been a regular at the festival since age one
He is seven years too young to buy the cigarettes himself, but that is okay.

"My parents bought me some" he explains.

Nearby one mother is encouraging Agostino, her two-year-old, to take his first puff, but he does not seem very convinced.

Welcome to Capena, a small medieval town to the north of Rome which the anti-smoking message does not appear to have reached yet.

Every year, like many towns and villages across Italy, they light a bonfire as part of the festival of St Anthony, which is also celebrated with the blessing of animals to bring prosperity in the year ahead.

But unlike other places, once the fire is burning in the square, the town's inhabitants use it to light cigarettes.

The Italian Government may have fallen into line with many other countries around the world this month, introducing a tough new law banning smoking in bars and restaurants, but that did not stop the people of Capena.

"I like smoking. I help out with mass, then I come here and my parents think it is okay because it is only one day a year " Tancredi, 10

As in previous years, the most eager participants were children, some as young as six.

wtf? that aint right or good.. wheres the link to the story? and u can buy smokes at the ages of 13 :/ ? u gotta be atleast 18 here.. parents should be ashamed of themselves

Smoking = Gooooddddd

Prices for Smokes= baaaadddddd

erm... same with uk... saw many kids smoking on the street... should be ashamed as well but thats life, people can do what they like

(i first puffed a cigar when i was 2)

boooo

Yes, link t o story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3409859.stm

its for a religous festival, of ST Anthony.

smoking = baaaaaad!!!!
prices = should be increased so no one buys it!!!

Well iam Ex Smoker lol so i know there bad i stopped after my perant found out and like killed me lol