Greek’s new law restricts public smoking

Europe’s most nicotine-dependent nation adopt a new public smoking ban Wednesday, launching a stub out of the Greek custom of lighting up virtually everywhere. Exceptions were made for mentally ill and players.

Greek's new law restricts public smoking

Unrestricted indoor smoking in restaurants, bars, cafes and workplaces is now against the law, the third is trying to impose prohibition Greece over the last decade.

“We want to change the minds of many years and adjust our daily habits … to the current practice in all civilized countries,” Health Minister Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS said. “Greek society is prepared for that.”

EU figures show that 37.6 percent of Greeks aged over 15 smoke on a daily basis – the highest level in the EU-27 nation. According to the Ministry of Health, the habit kills 20,000 Greek smokers every year, and another 700 die as a result of passive smoking.

But the government has stopped shy of imposing a total ban, and critics say it will do with the new law as ineffective as the previous two – which were generally ignored by smokers and related entities.

Small establishments will be able to choose whether they will be smoking or nonsmoking only, and may cancel more smoking areas.

And all hospitals and health facilities will be smoke free – in addition to the mental institution where the patient will be able to smoke on prescription “for purely curative,” according to the new law.

Offenders will face fines that vary euro50 smoking for up euro20,000 for owners of bars, restaurants and cafes caught for various infractions.

A poll earlier this year found that 95 percent of nonsmokers and 62 percent of smokers support a public smoking ban.

“It is a positive step,” said kiosk Athens Pavlos Giannopoulos work. “It’s all a matter of habit, since that (the law) is enforced.”