Bill seeks to recruit police to enforce wider smoking ban

A Health Ministry draft law that is under public consultation until Wednesday seeks to further strengthen Greece’s much-flouted ban on smoking in indoor public areas by expanding its scope and enlisting the help of the police.

According to the legislation, the ban on public smoking will be extended to include open-air public and private playgrounds as well as other facilities where children tend to gather. It also foresees a fine of 200 euros for smokers caught violating these regulations and 500 euros for the managers or owners of the venues where violations are being committed.

The ban will also extend to large nightclubs and casinos, which are currently able to purchase a special permit for allowing smoking on their premises.

The bill, moreover, assigns a more active role for imposing the ban to police, prompting a reaction from the officers’ union, which said that these additional duties will “weigh against the officer’s main mission.”