Partial Smoking Ban Started Today in Greece!

I am in a bad mood, because I was woke up from nap by a stupid mosquito that flied into my ear. Very annoying.

So I write something joyous.

Today, 1 July 2009, the smoking ban in Greece officially started!!!

It is only for the closed public spaces, and application to small cafes/restaurants is somewhat restricted (I don't remember the detail; sorry!), but still is a positive step for non-smokers like me. If you are a smoker, you maybe thinking I am an idiot for calling it 'positive'.

I don't care.

I am overjoyed by the fact - hopefully - I will be annoyed less often by smoke in public places. Greek smokers are far too careless: it seems that it never comes to their mind that there are people who don't like the tabacco smoke. They have been smoking as if it was their right.

Hopefully it won't be so anymore.


Today I entered Grigoris in Syntagma Square. I did not see any NO SMOKING sign, but they removed all the ash trays from the tables in ther first floor (I did not check very closely, but they might have changed the small dark ex-non smokers' corner into smokers' corner). And there was no one smoking!

The ban is only for the closed spaces, i.e., in the open space cafes/restaurants the smoking is still allowed without any condition.

A few weeks ago, I was enjoying coffee at a table of Mousses along the Adrianou Street. Then, three tables around us got occupied by 3 groups of smokers and we needed to change tables.

Something like this is still going to happen under the current ban, but, hopefully, it changes also soon in future.