Smoking

Smoking was officially banned in Greece in July 2009. However, like everything else in this country, the ban was not a simple blanket measure for all. Establishments over 70 sqm were obliged to provide separate smoking rooms and owners of places under 70 sqm were free to decide whether theirs will be a smoking place or not! The results were satisfactory in most working places, but in wonderful Greece, laws rarely get in the way of people’s lives and most bars and many restaurants completely ignored the new law which became redundant in practice. This was the reason the government came back and announced that from September 1 2010 there wouldl be a universal ban in all public places with an eight month transitional period just for casinos and nightclubs. The signs so far are not good with the entertainment industry resisting the ban, as they claim that amid the serious crisis the country is in, it will be the final nail in their coffin.