Greece struggling with smoking ban

Greece is still struggling to implement a tobacco smoking ban in public spaces nearly nine years after it became law, according to a story by Sarantis Michalopoulos for EurActiv.

According to a World Health Organization report, Greece’s compliance with the ban is poor.

On a scale of 0-10, where scores eight and above demonstrate high levels of compliance and scores below five demonstrate low levels, Greece’s rating is three.

In particular, the report notes, compliance levels in cafés, bars and restaurants ranged from 0 to two.

In 2002, Greece enacted a law banning smoking in public and private workplaces, on transport, and in healthcare facilities and educational institutions, but exemptions were allowed and the law atrophied

A new law was enacted in 2008 that banned the consumption of tobacco products in all workplaces, in taxis and on ferries, and in all enclosed public places.

But since then, according to the EurActiv story, nothing has changed, despite the fact that 62 percent of smokers find the smoking ban positive.

One reason for this is that a vast majority of bar and restaurant owners are not abiding by the law.

Dr. Philipos Philippidis, a lecturer at the School of Public Health at London’s Imperial College, said that the economic crisis, fear of the political cost of a ban and the influence of the tobacco industry had paralysed the implementation of anti-smoking laws.

He strongly criticised authorities for the fact that last year no fines for smoking violations were collected and insisted that Greek people were exposed to passive smoking in restaurants, bars, workplaces, etc. more than were the people of any other European country.

The Ministry of Health issued a statement on May 31, World No Tobacco Day, recognising that efforts to implement an effective smoking ban had not been successful.

But it said that it was planning to take relevant initiatives for the implementation of the smoking ban.

Asked by EurActiv when it was planning to take such initiatives, ministry sources replied “soon”.