Amendment eyeing restrictions on cigarette sales withdrawn after outcry
A proposed amendment by 16 SYRIZA deputies calling for a prohibition of the sale of cigarettes and other smoking-related products at corner shops was withdrawn Tuesday, following strong reaction from trade associations.
The SYRIZA MPs were demanding the sale of such products to be limited to kiosks, duty-free shops, specialized tobacco stores and specially designated areas at supermarkets, citing the protection of people’s health as the reason behind their proposal.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Democratic Alignment deputy Odysseas Constantinopoulos said that the measure would have affected about 32,000 sales points across Greece.
In a related development, a bill drafted by the Health Ministry aims to oblige companies intending to sell electronic cigarettes to first secure approval from health authorities.
