Photos : mag3737

Smoking ban is all Greek

In Greece, which has the highest rate of tobacco consumption in Europe, a law banning smoking in public buildings officially comes into force July 1st. The ban is a subject of controversy — all the more so because the Ministry of Health has yet to publish a decree on the venues concerned and the conditions under which the law will be applied.

Published on 1 July 2009 at 15:14
Photos : mag3737

The first day of the anti-smoking law will likely be chaotic. Owners of businesses with a floor area of less than 750 square feet who have applied to allow smoking on their premises, only began to receive "smoking-authorized" signs on Monday — and only in certain administrative regions of the country. "Most businesses that serve food and drink requested an authorization to allow smoking, but we haven't had any information on their status. We didn't even know that the signs had arrived," admitted the mayor of the island of Paros, Christos Vlahogiannis. In Glyfada, which is on the coast close to Athens, the mayor told us that " very few of the 4,000 eligible businesses applied for authorization. Perhaps they don't believe the law will be enforced straightaway. In any case, I think there will be some exceptions."

The absence of supplementary information has kept businesses in the dark about what to expect, and the date set for a Health Ministry memo supposed to shed light on the question has now been put forward. In the meantime, everyone is taking their time. Spiros Tsagaratos manages a "bouzoukia" [a traditional music venue where customers can order drinks and food] where almost all the patrons smoke. "If no one tells us anything, how are we supposed to know?" sighs Spiros, for whom the smoking ban will exacerbate a downturn in trade caused by the financial crisis. "If we want to cater to smokers, the European law says we have to seal off an area, with two metres clearance and an independent ventilation system if the building is more than 12 metres in height." Spiros remains dubious about the other safety guidelines he may have to apply.

He is not the only one to be skeptical about the law, which has also been criticized by experts like Manthos Santamouris, a physics professor at the University of Athens. "The 2-metre separation might be a good measure, but who actually knows how to build something like that? Even if you do find workers who are willing to do the job, who will do the inspection when its finished? Who has the right know-how? A policeman or a civil servant who comes to inspect the place will see a 2-metre separation and a ventilation system, but they won't have the skills to know if they are compliant." It is worth bearing in mind that in Greece, there are only two or three factories that make this type of partition system. They way ahead will not be easy.

On June 30, the European Commission proposed to ban tobacco in all public places in every member state by 2012. "As it stands, only ten countries have actually implemented these drastic regulations," reports Gazeta Wyborcza. "Ireland and the UK have banned smoking in public buildings and work places, while Italy, France and the Netherlands continue to authorize smoking in certain designated areas."

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As for Belgium, De Standaard reports that a second anti-smoking law will enter into force in January 2010. The text of the legislation has been criticized for its lack of clarity. Casinos will retain the right to allow smoking, as will cafés that do not sell "food with a shelf life of less than three months." On this basis, bars which serve peanuts and crisps will be authorized to allow smoking. For some Belgians, it is high time that Europe drafted a law on the issue.

European Commission

The anti-smoking crusade

On June 30, the European Commission proposed to ban tobacco in all public places in every member state by 2012. "As it stands, only ten countries have actually implemented these drastic regulations," reports Gazeta Wyborcza. "Ireland and the UK have banned smoking in public buildings and work places, while Italy, France and the Netherlands continue to authorize smoking in certain designated areas."

As for Belgium, De Standaard reports that a second anti-smoking law will enter into force in January 2010. The text of the legislation has been criticized for its lack of clarity. Casinos will retain the right to allow smoking, as will cafés that do not sell "food with a shelf life of less than three months." On this basis, bars which serve peanuts and crisps will be authorized to allow smoking. For some Belgians, it is high time that Europe drafted a law on the issue.

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