login
Become a member
Quick Registration
Full Registration Benefits -
Free Homepages for Doctors
Free Homepages for Hospitals
Free Homepages for Medical Conference
Free Homepages for NGO's
Personal Health Record Creation
Access to all Medical Slides
Access to all Jobs & Products Sale
Smoking Targeted Again in Greece
New legislation effective from Wednesday bans smoking in all public spaces except casinos and large music halls which have a nine-month extension to June.
Customers who flout the law will be liable to fines from 50 to 500 euros (64 to 640 dollars) while business operators risk tougher penalties of 500 to 10,000 euros and repeat offenders could have their licenses revoked.
"This is matter of public health, not a witch-hunt," Health Minister Mariliza Xenoyannakopoulou told a news conference on Monday, adding that her services sought to cooperate with establishments on the issue.
A similar ban had been imposed by the previous government last July -- the third crackdown in a decade -- but controls loosened after elections were called a few months later.
Laws dating to the 19th century have banned smoking in public offices and shops in Greece but this has not kept generations from lighting up.
Forty percent of Greeks are smokers and go through an average of eight cigarettes per day, Ta Nea daily reported on Monday.
The minister said the fines have been lowered from last year's crackdown.
But the gesture has failed to mollify thousands of restaurant and cafe owners who say the initiative could not have been more badly-timed, scaring away vital business in the midst of a recession and an economic crisis.
|
|
|
More News on: Health Hazards of Smoking, Smoking And Cancer, Smoking And Tobacco, Smoking Risk, Diet Lifestyle and Heart Disease, Bubbles and Brews - Alcohol Facts, Smoking, Cigarette Smoking - A Silent Killer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Leriche Syndrome
 Comment & Contribute
|
Medwonders Health Network
- Health News Index
 | Quiz on Smoking What are the smoking facts? Read about the effects of smoking by participating in the quiz. 
|
- News Quick Links
 |
Smoking
Complete Medindia Resources
|
| News Categories: |
| » | Schizophrenia Drug Differentiates Cancer Stem Cells into Less Threatening Cells |
| » | Docs Who Seldom Meet Drug Reps Continue to Prescribe Drugs With FDA “Black Box” Warnings |
| » | Revision in Quality Standards for Heparin |
| » | Acne Drug Users At High Risk of Developing Eye Infections |
| » | Patients Who Take Antidepressants When in ICU More Likely to Die |
| More Drug News | |
|
