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The ban on smoking in Greece caused contradictory responses in society, and although there are still ashtrays on the tables at many restaurants and cafes, the first results of the fight against tobacco smoke are already here. Over the past two years, 4% of the Greeks have stopped smoking, and the fines imposed on owners of restaurants and smokers for the past six months amount to one million euros, announced the management of the Ministry of Health at a press conference.

A poll of Kapa Research held on the 28^th and the 29^th of April among 2000 people shows that the number of smokers among the Greeks has risen from 61% in 2009 to 66.5% in 2011, said the teacher in public health Jenny Kremastinou, presenting the data of the study. Here it should be noted that Greece has the highest number of female smokers per capita compared to all other countries worldwide.

But the data presented by Kremastinou show that the Greeks are gradually changing their attitude towards smoking. In 2009, the percentage of respondents who did not allow smoking at home was 20%, while in 2011 it is 39%. The good news is that the Greeks smoke less in front of their children and at home. After the law against smoking was passed 54% of the respondents have reduced smoking and 37% were influenced by the economic crisis. The majority of respondents say that people should stop smoking because of the health injuries it causes - 68%, while 36% say that the reason not to smoke is the high price of cigarettes and tobacco.

The Greeks have to quit smoking, but a comprehensive policy is required, which includes programs at schools to inform the pupils, at maternity hospitals and military units. "Culture is the most important. We make great efforts at schools with the campaigns against smoking, because the age between 12 and 15 years is the most risky," said the General Secretary to the Ministry Antonis Dimopoulos. A pilot program is carried out in 200 schools now. It involves the students in various activities and applies the method of "knowledge through experience," and there are 50 cabinets in the country to quit smoking.

Currently, it could be said that the law against smoking is not quite successful, because it is not strictly observed, but the idea of the ​​Ministers is to change the overall approach to smoking by resorting to a more spherical policy. The Greeks need to accept it and to support it through action, healthy eating and exercising, and the fight against smoking and alcohol is within this framework, said the Minister of Health Andreas Loverdos. According to the data presented by Dimopoulos, 1500 fines have been imposed so far, 20,000 complaints were filed, 30,000 restaurants and bars were inspected and the imposed fines amount to one million euros.

Health purposes worldwide are to combat the diseases that are not infectious and contagious, including cancers, heart diseases, mental health and diabetes, which are serious diseases and cost many lives, said the Minister of Health. Public health policy that the Ministry of Health intends to carry out and implement is aimed at the promotion of a modern healthy lifestyle, which provides protection from diseases that decimate mainly the residents of developed countries. One of the Loverdos’ plans is to start a discussion on a new tax on cigarettes. The idea is the revenues collected from that tax to be granted for the establishment of a non-infectious diseases fund.

On the occasion of the coming summer and mosquitoes swarming Minister Loverdos said that the spraying started and the necessary funds have been allocated to the municipalities. The Nile virus took many casualties in northern Greece last year, because the Ministry proved to be unprepared before this infection. "In mid-August last year, six ministries have made superhuman efforts to stop the virus spreading. This year we made the arrangements still in February, but it is not only about spraying. The cooperation of local municipalities is needed too," said Antonis Dimopoulos.