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Smoking goes up in puff of smoke

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Anti-smoking campaign. Greece. Avaramopoulos.

Greek Health Minister, Dimitris Avramopoulos, at the launch of the campaign to introduce Greeks to the new restrictions against smoking that will come into operation in July. Photo: Panayiotis Stolis

4 May 2009

Greece’s health minister launched a promotional campaign last week to help introduce restrictions on smoking in public places as of July 1.

Greek Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said the nationwide campaign is targeted at safeguarding the nation’s health.

Speaking at a special event of the “National Alliance Against Smoking”, where he presented the actions and measures taken by the ministry as part of a new anti-smoking campaign begun in collaboration with Harvard University, Avramopoulos said the measures would be a break with a “sinful past.”

Avramopoulos stressed that 20,000 Greeks die a year of smoking-related diseases, which annually costs the national health system over 2.8 billion euro.

“Our fellow citizens that are smokers will have the choice of smoking in their private homes or outdoors but we need them near us.

We need an alliance with them because smokers themselves know better than non-smokers that their lives and the lives of their families are at risk because of their habit,” he noted.

The minister cited a recent public survey suggesting that six in 10 Greek smokers support the campaign.

The law says all offices, restaurants, cafes and other public places must designate areas for smokers and non-smokers. Managers that fail to respect the law will face fines.

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