www射-国产免费一级-欧美福利-亚洲成人福利-成人一区在线观看-亚州成人

Greece bans smoking, again

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-09-02 09:12
Large Medium Small

Greece banned smoking in all indoor public places again on Wednesday in yet another effort to persuade Europe's heaviest smokers to kick the habit.

The new socialist government hopes fines and vigilance will work after a similar attempt in 2009 was largely ignored. But many doubt the ban has a chance in a country where more than 40 percent of the population lights up.

"It won't work. No one is willing to quit smoking. It's our mentality. Can you imagine going out, to night-clubs, and not smoking?" said 26-year-old bank employee Iro Karahaliou, puffing away on a bench in central Athens.

As the ban kicked in on Wednesday, smokers filled terraces, balconies and open-air cafes in Athens. The new law forbids smoking in areas such as hospitals, schools, airports, bus stations, taxis, bars, cafes and restaurants.

Inspectors will impose up to 10,000 euros in fines on bar-owners or managers tolerating smoking in restricted areas and up to 500 euros for smokers who break the law.

"Greece is ready for this," said Deputy Health Minister Marilisa Xenogiannakopoulou. "It is a big challenge and I believe we have taken all the necessary steps."

The government says the previous law was weakened by too many exceptions, a reluctance to impose fines and poor policing, but this time around violators will really feel the heat.

Greeks smoke some 32 billion cigarettes annually, spending 4.5 billion euros on the habit, or almost as much as they pay for electricity.

Smoking-related health costs run up to an annual 2 billion euros, according to health ministry data, about 60 percent of total tobacco tax revenues in 2009.

Not even a VAT increase to 23 from 19 percent and a rise in excise taxes on tobacco, part of austerity steps prescribed by the EU and the IMF, has put Greek smokers off.

Austerity-hit businessmen oppose the ban and have asked for a one-year reprieve for restaurants, bars and cafes, and for 1,400 nightclubs to be made exempt altogether.

The health ministry has rejected their request but said casinos and nightclubs bigger than 300 square meters have until June 2011 to comply.

More than 2,500 people have joined a Facebook group opposing the ban -- twice as many as the 1,295 members of a rival Facebook group in favor of the measure.

"We are cutting down on everything due to austerity, and they are asking us to give up smoking?" said saleswoman Eleni Doufekoula, 27, having a cigarette outside her work in central Athens.

"In all this misery, when you go to a bar you want to light a cigarette and have fun. Why go out otherwise?"

主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产高清在线看免费视频观 | 一本高清| 免费成年人在线观看视频 | 美国一级毛片a | 亚洲欧美午夜 | 国产成人综合视频 | 欧美日韩一区二区三区视频在线观看 | 精品无人区一区二区三区a 精品午夜国产在线观看不卡 | 欧美高清一区二区三 | 日本韩国三级在线观看 | 亚洲精品国产综合99久久一区 | 日韩国产在线 | 欧美三级香港三级日本三级 | 国产精品va一级二级三级 | 成年大片免费视频播放二级 | 亚洲天堂在线观看视频 | 成年女人毛片免费播放视频m | 香蕉视频亚洲一级 | 国产欧美精品综合一区 | 性日韩精品 | 国产香蕉成人综合精品视频 | 男女视频在线观看免费高清观看 | 99久久久久国产 | 欧美高清在线精品一区二区不卡 | 免费播放特黄特色毛片 | 亚洲va老文色欧美黄大片人人 | 99久久免费精品国产免费高清 | 美国毛片aa| 国产三级精品91三级在专区 | 国产人成精品综合欧美成人 | 欧美久久久久 | 岛国大片在线播放高清 | 日韩精品一区二区三区四区 | 91亚洲综合 | 欧美精品一区二区三区免费播放 | 美欧毛片| 国产欧美精品一区二区三区四区 | 午夜国产视频 | 欧美二级在线观看免费 | 三级国产精品一区二区 | 夜夜操夜夜爽 |