Bars and restaurants in Greece vow to snub smoking ban (News Feature)

By Christine Pirovolakis Oct 15, 2010, 13:14 GMT

Athens - Bars and restaurants across the Greek capital Athens have vowed to break a nationwide smoking ban by allowing their customers to light up on Sunday.

Greece, home to Europe's largest percentage of smokers, imposed its third and toughest ban on smoking in enclosed public places at the start of October.

But the Federation of Restaurants and Bars (POESE), which has 152 affiliated unions representing 121,000 businesses, has decided to take drastic action against the ban, according to a report in the Greek daily newspaper Kathimerini.

Yiannis Tsakos, president of POESE, told the newspaper that the federation is not against the smoking ban itself but strongly opposes its timing due to the economic crisis.

He claims the smoking ban has led to a drop of about 30 percent in turnover at bars, cafes and restaurants that cannot offer customers the option of sitting outside to smoke.

In an act of defiance, establishments said they will put ashtrays back on tables and bars, allowing customers to light up on Sunday.

'Since we are going to go out of business anyway as a result of the crisis, let the state come along and shut us down because we are not following the law,' Tsakos was quoted as saying.

Under the new law, smoking is banned in all indoor public venues, with the exception of casinos and bars larger than 300 square metres, which have a nine-month extension. The law also puts new restrictions on tobacco advertising.

Smokers who break the law are liable to fines ranging from 50 to 500 euros (70 to 705 dollars). The owners of the establishments risk tougher penalties of 500 to 10,000 euros, with repeat offenders risking the revocation of their licences.

Since the start of the month, 3,000 checks have been carried out in Athens, leading to 20 fines.

The new law is already having a heavy impact on a nation where nearly 45 per cent of the adult population smokes, and where smoking in offices and cafes is seen as a traditional pastime.

Other unions, including the General Confederation of Greek Small Businesses and Traders, have backed calls for the ban to be lifted.

The government, however, has insisted that after two failed attempts in the past, it will not stop the new law from being enforced.

Last year's ban was largely ignored because of exemptions for small bars and restaurants, as well as a failure to punish offenders who routinely lit up cigarettes in larger bars, in taxis or at work.

The Health Ministry has said the new law is aimed at saving the lives of an estimated 20,000 people who die every year from smoking in Greece, costing the country an annual 2.14 billion euros.

A 2007 survey found the number of smokers in Greece had risen 10 per cent in a decade while other developed nations were kicking the habit.

Britain, Ireland, France, Germany and other EU states have already introduced public smoking bans.

But considering Greece's patchy track record of implementing new laws, there is no guarantee that the unpopular new prohibition - imposed in the midst of a recession and debt crisis - will succeed.

Many restaurant and cafe owners insist the ban has resulted in fewer patrons.

'How are we expected to survive? This is going to seriously hurt business. First they increase our business taxes - now they are telling us that we must turn away customers who light up,?' said Yorgos Pavlopoulos, the owner of Il Gatto cafe, located in the trendy pedestrian walkway of Voukourestiou near Syntagma Square in Athens.

Greece's ruling Socialist government has also set its sight on smokers as it implements a series of austerity measures agreed to in exchange for a budget bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

Among the measures is a 10 per cent increase in the cigarette tax.

Read more about Greece Health