Overview
- During an informal G7 exchange the Italian prime minister told fellow leaders she stopped smoking “since the first of May,” saying she had quit about a month earlier.
- The candid remark was picked up on a hot mic and quickly spread online, turning a private moment at the Evian‑les‑Bains summit into a widely viewed clip.
- Fellow leaders responded with supportive and light‑hearted comments, with figures including Ursula von der Leyen, Sanae Takaichi and Mark Carney congratulating her.
- WHO Director‑General Dr Tedros reposted the footage and shared the organisation’s toolkit on how to quit smoking, reframing the moment as an opportunity for public‑health outreach.
- Reporters noted Meloni previously quit for 13 years before resuming, and public‑health experts say quitting yields rapid health gains, making high‑profile quit announcements useful for encouraging others to stop.