The Washington Post.
But as the lingering signs of economic crisis recede at last, the new Greek prime minister, a devoted anti-smoker, has said the country is ready to begin a different kind of recovery: improving its health by following the smoking ban that was made into law a decade ago but then summarily ignored.
When his government took office in July, for the first time in memory, staffers and politicians stopped smoking inside the Parliament building.
The notion of enforcing a health law is, by itself, a sign of how post-crisis Greece may be changing.
Greek authorities have a long, tormented track record of creating regulations — whether about parking or tax collection — and looking the other way. In the case of the smoking ban, furious bar and restaurant owners rebelled when it was imposed, saying they couldn’t afford to chase off customers during what became a historic recession.
But advocates for the ban say that if Greeks are now able to rally behind any law, it should be one that can help reduce medical costs, stem an epidemic and bring the country up to the health standards of much of the rest of Europe and the United States.
“Clean air is a basic need,” said George Balafoutis, a Microsoft cybersecurity architect who launched a website listing the bars and restaurants nationwide — 464, as of now — that are already smoke-free.
Enforcing the law, though, means confronting a nationwide addiction.
Smoking starts early for Greeks, and kiosks sell cigarettes right in front of schools. Even the healthiest Greeks can’t easily get away. American basketball coach Rick Pitino, coaching a Greek club earlier this year, criticized fans for smoking inside the arena, saying they were “self-centered” and didn’t “care about young people and the athletes who are breathing it in.”
At one cancer clinic in Athens, doctors say half the patients continue to smoke during their treatment. At another hospital across town, those lighting up in front of an outdoor sign that tells them not to include patients, relatives and staff.
