Police to play active role in enforcing smoking ban
As part of a government crackdown, police will play an active role in enforcing Greece’s much-flouted anti-smoking law, while a hotline will also be set up so that members of the public can report violations.
Speaking to Parliament on Saturday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitstotakis said the ban on smoking in indoor public spaces will be enforced immediately, starting from the House itself.
Greece has among the toughest anti-smoking laws in Europe but it has never been implemented. According to the latest Eurobarometer survey on smoking in May 2017, 87 percent of Greeks said they have come across people smoking in bars and 78 percent in restaurants – compared to the European Union average of 20 percent and 9 percent respectively.
The proportion of Greeks who smoke is estimated – according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority – at 27.3 percent, placing Greece second behind Bulgaria in Europe.
