Last gasp for public smoking

“Absolutely no smoking in parliament, except on the balcony,” remarks an ironicTo Vima. On the day when “the total ban on smoking in public buildings comes into force,” the Athens daily reports that “smoking rooms in the Greek parliament have been turned into reception areas and a special balcony equipped with a mini-bar and an awning to provide protection from the weather has been set aside for smokers.” Until now, Greece’s partial tobacco ban has largely been ignored, but the government has moved to increase the number of anti-smoking inspectors, and introduced strict fines: up to 10,000 euros for the proprietors of bars and cafes that fail to respect the legislation, and 500 euros for individuals who light up in restricted areas.