Greece Bids To Stamp Out Smoking In Public With New Law 

Greece, Europe's heaviest-smoking nation, will introduce a tobacco ban in public places on July 1, its third attempt in a decade to stamp out the country's love affair with cigarettes.

However, critics fear loopholes in the legislation and its unpopularity mean it could prove just as ineffective as previous antismoking bids.

About 20,000 Greeks die each year from tobacco-related ailments, and 42% of the population smokes, according to the country's health minister, Dimitris Avramopoulos.

Greece lags behind many of its European peers who have outlawed smoking in public places in recent years.

However, Avramopoulos is convinced Greece can now catch up, declaring: "The moment of truth has arrived, this ban aims to bring a change that will revolutionize people's outlook."

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