Will the Greeks Ever Stop Smoking?

Today's Greece can be aptly described as a nicotine addict's paradise. A thick fug of cigarette smoke still hangs in the air of most Greek bars and restaurants, even though the country technically banned smoking in indoor public spaces back in 2010. With more smokers per capita than any other country in the E.U., it seems that neither the public nor the police can be bothered to make sure the anti-smoking rule is obeyed.

This Christmas, that could all change. A new memo from the Greek Ministry of Health has found its way into the press, vowing, finally, to crack down. During Greece's busiest season for indoor bars, the ministry is promising to implement tough fines both for smokers and for the spaces that let them light up. Greek smokers may well be wondering why the clampdown is happening now, but outsiders are asking themselves a different question: How is it that Greece's previous smoking bans have had so little effect?