Authorities say that at the first stage they will be glad to accustom the people to the existence of such places in public areas. At the 2004 Olympics, which will be held in Athens, tobacco advertising will be banned. The ban on advertising tobacco products will be a consequence of an agreement on the introduction of new tobacco legislation, which was signed between the Greek Ministry of Health and trade unions. The agreement provides for a gradual ban on smoking in public places, at workplaces and in the private sector, starting from October 1, 2003. In state institutions of the country, smoking has been banned since the beginning of 2002.
It is not yet clear what punishment will be imposed on violators of the new rules. Greek Health Minister Costas Stefanis called press reports about possible imprisonment for smoking violators "exaggerated," but did not deny information about large fines, up to 150 euros, for smoking in public places.