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: 在线免费看a | 亚洲欧美日韩久久精品第一区 | 免费一级视频在线播放 | 一区二区三区欧美视频 | 国产精品短视频免费观看 | 亚洲第三区 | 国产a区| 亚洲国产91 | 韩国日本一级片 | 欧美日韩精品在线播放 | 日韩毛片免费视频一级特黄 | 中文字幕在线欧美 | 国产精品一区二区三区高清在线 | 一级毛片免费不卡在线 | 久99re视频9在线观看 | 亚洲男人的天堂在线 | 99精品视频观看 | 午夜毛片视频高清不卡免费 | 国产一区精品在线观看 | 亚洲美女性生活视频 | 亚洲精品人成在线观看 | 精品一区二区三区五区六区 | 国产午夜精品理论片在线 | 欧美真人毛片动作视频 | 国产在线精品一区免费香蕉 | 日本亚洲高清 | 国产日韩欧美精品一区二区三区 | 香焦视频在线观看黄 | 国产成人精品福利网站人 | 中文字幕视频网 | 手机在线观看亚洲国产精品 | 免费看一级欧美毛片视频 | 亚洲精品不卡久久久久久 | 免费观看欧美成人禁片 | 韩国精品一区视频在线播放 | 色偷偷亚洲偷自拍 | 欧美一级片免费看 | 欧美色xx | 欧洲做人爱c欧美 | 她也啪在线视频 | 9久久99久久久精品齐齐综合色圆 |