Galery

1

Emanuela Karastoyanova

Although in the summer months many tourists allowed themselves for a week or two to forget about some problems, and even about the crisis one of the hard "autumn" questions is already approaching on the horizon. Will it be allowed to smoke in Greece starting with September? For the answer to this question are now looking countless smokers and restaurants. The truth is that the decision of the Ministry of Health to impose a total ban on smoking in public places and places of entertainment and relaxation since September 1 threw off the balance of many people interested in the "legalization" of the harmfull habit in this country.

 To smoke or not? Everything comes down to this issue according to the offended smokers who claim that the law introduced bans smoking virtually anywhere. In a bad mood are also the owners of cafes, bars and restaurants, who claim that with the ban introduced the ministry sentenced their business to death.

"We believe the adoption of the law to be a fatal error" – claims the personnel of the coffee bar Sui generis in downtown Athens. "One should always have a choice. There is room for smokers and nonsmokers in the restaurants. The ban will certainly have disastrous consequences for the business as a whole." Similar are the views also of the staff of the cafe-bar Pulitzer: "The ban is extreme and it is a mistake. Such measures are not needed. How does a smoker hurts a non-smoker if both are far enough from each other?" From the nearby restaurant Agora argue that cigarette smoke might be a problem for the people while eating in the restaurant, but certainly better solutions can be found than introducing a comprehensive smoking ban.

The ban on smoking in workplaces was introduced last year. The truth is however that it wasn’t particularly successful. What will happen if things really changed since September? Smokers do not want to think about it. At the web page www.scafebar.gr the coordination center of the owners of restaurants and bars throughout the country expresses its complete protest against the law and threatens to not let things just go like this. The center insists to be introduced specific marks for the restaurants for smokers and smokers. Otherwise, the restaurants will have to close, as it has happened in other European countries. "In France, dozens of thousands of restaurants were closed and the turnover of others decreased by 40%. In Croatia the turnover decreased by 80%... In countries such as Germany, Austria, Spain and Belgium (where is the headquarters of the European Union) they just smoke ... Our position is the choice: Where the access of people is mandatory there should be a ban on smoking. In the case when the access is a matter of choice there should be the right to choose. This is what one does in his daily life. One chooses what to eat, what to drink, what theater or movie he will see, where he will sit down, etc." insist members of the Center. On their web page, they further insist: "We only demand what is known for itself: the right to choose. Ours and that of our client. Taking away of the rights of a man to choose is an attempt for manipulation and fascism... Today the cigarettes, tomorrow the weight, and then or shorter..." As a sign of protest the center has even proceeded to collecting signatures to fighting against the law for a complete ban on smoking. The other measure which coordinators intend to take is quite radical. They threaten that they will stop paying VAT...