Sun, Nov 08 2009

Greece's parliament approves ban on smoking in public places

Sat, Nov 08 2008 13:42 CET byClive Leviev-Sawyer 713 Views 1 Comment

The Greek parliament has approved a ban on smoking in public places, including all restaurants, bars and public transport, from January 1 2010, Greek media reported.

Greece, which is reportedly in top five of the heaviest smokers in the European Union and has one of the highest rates of smoking in the world, made the move at the same time that a Croatian ban on smoking in public places came into effect. Croatia, however, has allowed a six-month grace period for restaurants and bars to obey the legislation, while hospitals and government institutions are required to comply immediately.

Greece has provided for a 300 euro fine for lighting up in an area where smoking is forbidden.

The Greek legislation will also ban the sale of tobacco products to people under 18. Those who sell tobacco products or liquor to under-18s will face fines of up to 20 000 euro.

Smoking will be banned in workplaces but designated smoking areas may be set aside. Previously, Greece banned smoking in hospitals, offices and taxis and legislated separate smoking and non-smoking areas in restaurants and bars, but media reports said that these laws were widely ignored.

Apart from Croatia, other South East European heavy-smoking countries that have anti-smoking laws in force include Turkey and Bulgaria. Most EU countries, including Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and the UK, have strict legislation against smoking in public places.

Comments

Anonymous Jenny Sat, Mar 28 2009 21:49 CET
Inappropriate comment?

The start of this ban has been moved forward by the Ministry of Health to 1st July 2009 since they feel it will be easier to implement in the summer.

Greece isn't among the heaviest smoking countries in Europe - it *is* the heaviest smoking country in Europe.

It is scandalous that it has taken the Greek government so long to do anything at all about the awfully high (and no doubt greatly underestimated) rates of death from smoking in Greece. Previous laws were a joke. Some Greeks I know regard this new law as a joke too.

The government will have to come down with a firm hand, or it will be totally ignored like the former laws are ignored, with smoking in hospitals, doctors surgeries, shops, workplaces, children's nurseries, internet cafes full of kids, in fact everywhere. Greeks by and large don't give a damn about this type of law. It is impossible to get away from smoking in this country. Sadly, without heavy fines, public health promotion and serious training for law enforcement, this won't work.

Greeks are perfectly capable of enforcing and following laws when they feel like it. Nobody smokes inside a cinema. Only drivers try to smoke on buses. Most Greeks respect and understand that you do not smoke there. But there is no such understanding about smoking anywhere else. Greeks behave as if smoking is wonderful and good for everybody.

Write comment

Name:Comment:

Generate new code
Send your comment
Bulgarians, at a pack a day, third among Europeans in smoking stakes

Half of pregnant women smoke, and almost every third person between 10 and 19, new figures say

More in this category

Influenza update: Sofia schools suspend classes

Kindergartens to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and universities to decide for themselves whether to suspend classes.

Sliven police capture illegal immigrants bound for Greece

Five illegal immigrants from Iran and Iraq caught by Bulgarian police in Sliven.

Deputy head of veterinary service arrested on bribery charge

Leonid Lavchev sent an intermediary to collect 1000 leva from a dairy farm in Haskovo, investigators say

Former cabinet minister investigated for alleged embezzlement, malfeasance

Former labour minister Emilia Maslarova follows the example of Socialist party leader and former prime minister, Sergei Stanishev, in requesting that her MP immunity is lifted

Influenza update: sixth death in Bulgaria, Sofia schools face suspended classes

Health Minister: Influenza strain is not seasonal flu, it is swine flu. More than 100 000 Bulgarians are down with the H1N1 strain.

© 2000-2009, Sofia Echo Media Ltd.

Web Design by RIZN

Sofia Echo Media is part of the Economedia Group.
The news and information content on this website is provided by our editorial team and is copyrighted. Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site. Comments posted by the website's visitors are independent of the editorial materials and do not represent the views of sofiaecho.com. Sofia Echo Media cannot be held responsible for the statements contained in visitor comments. The percentаge change in the shares' prices are based on the price of the last transaction of the current session compared to the price of the last transaction of the previous session. Bulgarian Stock Exchange data is not real-time, but updated every 15 minutes, and should not be used as a basis for decisions about buying or selling stock options.