An Italian physician and politician, Girolamo Sirchia was born in Milan in 1933.

He is married and has two daughters. He obtained a medical degree at University of Milan, specializing in Internal Medicine and Immuno-hematology.

He was Italian Minister of Health from June 2001 to April 2005 and he is known first for a smoking ban (Sirchia law) in all indoor public places: in 2005 Italy was the first large country banning smoking in indoor public places and workplaces.