In Cyprus, smoking is pretty much compulsory from birth.
The 2002-2004 Protection of Health (smoking) Unified Laws prohibit smoking in all public places, including nightclubs, cafés and restaurants, in all government buildings, public transport and in private cars carrying any passenger under the age of 16.
But there’s a marked difference in the way the ban is implemented in Cyprus in comparison with other European countries.
In the UK, I’ve been reprimanded for smoking in an open air car park at my local station. It’s apparently part of the station, so the ban applies. Crazy or what… As a smoker, I think its an infringement of my civil liberties, the very thing the EU is supposed to uphold.
I can however see the opposite point of view. As a non-smoker it must be infuriating to see smokers puffing away. And as many smokers have little consideration for others, that must just add to the bad-feeling created. When I want to smoke I do try to stay away from non-smokers, but I also recognise I’m in the minority in that.
So what’s the story in Cyprus, a country where it seems to me smoking is compulsory from birth?
Everybody knows there’s a ban in force. But nobody seems to pay it much attention. Every bar and restaurant we’ve been in seems to just ignore the ban. The only places I’ve come across any attempt at enforcing it is in some of the restauarants in Paphos. But even they seem to have smoking and non-smoking sections.
Apparently it is becoming an issue, to the point where a survey to see how the smoking ban can be better implemented in Cyprus has been ordered by the Health Minister Christos Patsalides. Will it change anything? I suspect not.
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