For Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implementation of the Anti-Smoking Law in public buildings is imminent. This was the decision at a meeting Mitsotakis held with the political leadership of the Health Ministry on Wednesday.
The battle to improve citizens’ health trhough the reduction of smoking was the main target of the meeting with Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias and Deputy Minister Vasilis Kontozamanis.
They have decided a series of actions to be taken in this direction, some of them to be implemented immediately and some in medium term.
Mitsotakis and the health leadership decided to implement the anti-smoking law directly and strictly to public buildings. That is in the Greek Parliament as well as in ministries, hospitals, schools and the public services in general.
At the same time, it was decided to launch a broad campaign to inform and raise awareness among citizens, in view of the universal application of the law in the coming months.
Key points of the anti-smoking campaign are the comprehensive ban on smoking in all public enclosed places, intensification of controls, application of fines and sanctions for offenders, active participation of the Police as well as the operation of a phone line for complaints and reports about violations of anti-smoking law
The health Ministry plans also to active the entire state control mechanism, such as traffic police, municipal police, port authorities, health inspectors, and the police.
The first anti-smokling law was legislated in 2009 by Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos (New Democracy) in 2009, the second and more thorough one by Health Minister Andreas Xanthos (SYRIZA) in 2016 and 2017, 2018. None of these laws were implemented as they should in terms of controls and fines.
According to a public opinion survey conducted by KAPA Research for the Institute of Public Health of the American College of Greece,
88.1% of respondents said it is a national goal to reduce smoking
83.8% said it is a “cultural degradation to not implement the anti-smoking law
76.1% said they were angry at the fact that the country is the only EU country that allows smoking indoors by exposing its citizens to passive smoking.
PS Given the fact that ND government assigns police to more and more duties like armed police in touristic places, cleaning up Exarchia and now chase smokers, one day Greeks will wake up to find out that they live in a police-state.
Bring on the Police state if it means that I can go to the restaurant with my child without some arsehole next to us lighting up.
Bring on the police state state if it means that arseholes will get fimned for parking on corners so that mothers with prams and disabled people can’t pass
Its time Greece grew a brain
they do it only for a) not for b) Cars are Greeks’ holy cows.
It’s incredible that anyone would say that having tourist police out on the streets keeping an eye on things, police cleaning up squats and dealing with drug addicts in Exarchia and enforcing no smoking laws is anything like a police state has obviously never lived in a real police state which I from my own experience assure you is very unpleasant. The police here are just trying to ensure a civilized society.
They should establish an Anti-Smoking Task Force to impose fines not only upon venue owners but smokers as well. That would do them fine. Another idea:
If the government really wants this to take off they should promise a 20 percent reward of the fine paid to whoever reports a smoking violation. This will help clean the atmosphere a bit and also help the government collect some money. It’s a win-win situation.
I am against smoking laws. Both smokers and non-smokers deserve equal rights. Have sections for smokers and non-smokers to congregate in public places, that way everyone can feel comfortable when going out doing daily activities or to socialize.