Greece implements third smoking ban

Sep 1, 2010, 5:41 GMT

Athens - Greece, home to Europe's largest percentage of smokers, on Wednesday imposed its third and toughest ban on smoking in enclosed public places.

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. The owners of the establishments risk tougher penalties of 500 to 10,000 euros, with repeat offenders risking the revocation of their licences.

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

Reports said Harvard University's School of Public Health was assisting the Greek government by gathering data on the effect of the ban.

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 was 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 for implementing new laws, there seems to be no guarantee that the unpopular new prohibition, which comes in the midst of a recession and debt crisis, will succeed.

Many restaurant and cafe owners fear the ban will mean 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, which narrowly avoided bankruptcy earlier this year, agreed in talks with the European Union and International Monetary Fund to a series of austerity measures to lower the country's mounting deficit.

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