The minister outlined a gloomy situation by not enforcing the law and said that “it ridiculed any politician is public closed places and people smoke sitting next to him smoke or even he himself smokes.”
He added that “I have found myself in very uncomfortable situation to have to make critical remarks to the establishment owner.”
The Minister stressed that ”the implementation of the ban is a matter of government planning”.
I wonder what the Minister answered to restaurant or bar owners when they replied, revenues go bad anyway, if they’d apply the smoke banning law strictly customers will stay forever away…
A dilemma for small businesses
The owner of the grill taverna just around the corner was telling me recently that when he applies the smoking ban, 99 percent of large customer groups stay away. He says, he has also observed that years-long customers of him stay away and/or prefer to order his Special Grill Chicken or Souvlakia per delivery.Of course, Mister Giorgos earns more, when people consume at his taverna and not at home where they can smoke as much as they wish.
After a month of applying the ban, Giorgos decided that his customers may live longer eating in a healthy environment but he will most probably go bankrupt.
Now he applies the smoking ban according to the principle ‘who comes first wins’. Is there a big family with children coming for dinner, he says: “smoking is prohibited”. Otherwise, smoking is allowed. He believes, children should be in bed after 10 p.m., anyway.
It’s just bad timing, Mister Minister…
KEEPTAKINGGREECE
http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2011/01/07/greek-health-minister-admits-smoking-prevails-over-ban/
