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As of 1 September 2010 there will be a blanket ban on smoking in all indoor public areas throughout Greece, with stiff fines for transgressors. The ban applies equally to work places and recreational venues, without the option of a special smoking area, except in the case of casinos and recreational venues larger than 300 m² playing live music. For the last two categories, there will be an eight-month transitional period and the full ban will begin to apply from 1 June 2011.

Under the new law, private individuals that flout the smoking ban face fines ranging from €50 to €500, while companies found to be tolerating smoking on their premises can be fined between €500 and €10,000.

The details of the smoking ban were outlined in a Health Ministry circular issued on Monday (30.08.10), with restaurateurs and club-owners objecting to the timing that they said will be a further knock to a sector already struggling to cope with a decline in turnover of as much as 25%.

Source: ANA-MPA(GR), 31 August 2010
http://www.ana-mpa.gr/anaweb/user/showplain?maindoc=9050463&maindocimg=1221875&service=144&showLink=true