G7 Smoking Reveal
Meloni's G7 hot-mic revelation: Italian PM quit smoking, sparks health discussion
Key Points
In the hot-mic exchange, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz asked Meloni whether she had smoked that morning; Meloni replied, “No… Since the first of May.” Mark Carney then joked about nicotine replacement, asking, “Do you have a patch?” and pointing to his arm.
Another off-the-cuff moment showed the leaders mixing quitting with coffee-related banter: Meloni said, “I had to take three coffees, yes,” prompting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to ask, “This morning? To wake up?” Merz then joked, “And a cigarette?”—to which Meloni responded, “No, I stopped.”
Coverage also recalled Meloni’s earlier remarks involving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Summit for Peace in Sharm El Sheikh: she had been overheard joking that quitting cigarettes might make her want to “kill someone,” and Erdoğan was then heard urging her to stop smoking (“I know, I know… I don’t want to kill someone.”).
The story framed quitting as a public-health issue, citing the WHO estimate that “tobacco kills more than eight million people each year,” underscoring why Meloni’s moment was treated as an unexpected health headline rather than only a political one.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni used a pre-session coffee break at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains to reveal she had quit smoking. A hot mic caught her telling fellow leaders,
The clip spread fast. Within hours, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Meloni publicly and shared a quit-smoking toolkit. The moment stood out at a summit otherwise focused on war, trade, and climate — proof that a 47-day personal milestone can become a global health headline.
Merz Asked the Question That Started It All
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sparked the reveal. He asked Meloni directly whether she had smoked that morning. She replied,
Mark Carney kept it going, pointing to his arm and asking,
Erdoğan Pushed Her to Quit Months Earlier
The backstory stretches back to late 2023. At the Summit for Peace in Sharm El Sheikh, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was caught on mic urging Meloni to stop smoking. Meloni joked at the time that quitting might make her
Meloni had also tried to quit before. She later cited the stress of Italy's 2025 austerity budget as one reason earlier attempts failed, according to AOL News. May 1 was the date that finally stuck — 47 days before the G7 exchange.
WHO Turned a Hot-Mic Moment Into a Public Health Push
By 2:00 PM on June 16, the WHO Director-General had posted a public congratulation. He called Meloni's decision
The numbers explain why health officials moved so quickly. Tobacco kills more than 8 million people every year worldwide, according to WHO. In Italy alone, smoking causes over 93,000 deaths annually and costs the national health system an estimated €8 billion each year. A G7 leader quitting — on camera — gives anti-tobacco campaigns a rare, high-profile moment to build on.
Leaders United — at Least Over Nicotine Patches
The banter showed unusual warmth at a summit otherwise heavy with tension. European Council President António Costa told Meloni he had been smoke-free for 21 years. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen joined in, asking about Meloni's three morning coffees. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered congratulations, according to The Independent.
Not everyone took it at face value. Italian opposition voices, including members of the Five Star Movement, suggested the hot-mic moment conveniently distracted from the summit's failure to agree on a concrete climate finance deal. But public health analysts pushed back. Whatever the intent, they argued, a sitting G7 leader openly endorsing cessation tools like nicotine patches — in plain view of millions — is a net win for quitting culture.
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