And: I've never seen so much smoking, I have astham and cannot breathe haf the time here. In Greece smoking is supposed to already be banned in the workplace, but on Crete workers and the public in supermarkets, banks and even hospitals smoke freely with no sanctions whatsosever applied. That's right, I said *HOSPITALS.* Visit the Iraklio hospital and watch the reception and cleaning staff happily smoking. No-one gives a sh*t.

Even if this ban passes as law (it hasn't yet), these sort of laws are rarely enforced. Greeks don't care.

They were supposed to enforce "strict new lawa" (Ha!) in 2002, six years ago.Nothing happened whatsoever, other than otherwise smoke-filled restaurants/cafes put a 'no smoking' sign on just a few tables. Equivalent to designating a part of a swimming pool for pissing in. Idiots.

The constant smell of cigarette smoke is the most unpleasant aspect of an otherwise-beautiful place. In a village I have visited, the local dentist smokes while she cleans your teeth. Many aspects of Greek culture are charming, but this is not one of them.

I can't believe that Greece, which has been in the EU for almost 30 years and is supposed to be a developed country, allows smoking everywhere and lets kids buy cigarettes. I was shocked to hear about dentists smoking while fixing your teeth, ashtrays in waiting rooms, people smoking in banks and supermarkets... That doesn't happen even here in Bosnia, and in Croatia they just passed a law of total smoking ban in all public places.