Newly elected Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis plans to keep his pre-election promise to enforce his country's anti-smoking laws, which originally came into force 10 years ago, the Greek Reporter reported.

When the law was drafted in 2008, 40 per cent of Greeks were regular smokers, putting Greece in second place in the percentage of smokers among all EU Member States. The economic crisis forced many Greeks to give up the expensive habit of smoking. By 2014, the smoking prevalence had fallen to 27 per cent, the report said.
Since then, the law has been enforced so sporadically and superficially that it has practically not been enforced at all, according to the Greek Reporter. Indeed, no smoking signs were put up in all enclosed public spaces and shops, but they were only for show. Many Greeks mocked the anti-smoking laws and fought fiercely against them. According to the report, they accused the Greek state of depriving them of their right to smoke.