The Greece smoking ban measures aim to curb tobacco and alcohol use by minors, introducing stricter penalties and sales restrictions under a new bill passed by parliament in early July.
The legislation mandates age verification for all tobacco and alcohol sales, with severe penalties for violations- ranging from fines to prison sentences.
Tobacco sellers are now required to check a customer’s ID, and must refuse the sale if there is any doubt about the buyer’s age or identity.
Nicotine limits introduced
The ban on selling, offering, or providing tobacco products to minors applies to both traditional tobacco products and new-generation products, such as heated tobacco and nicotine products.
Specifically for nicotine, the new law introduces a limit for nicotine pouches, allowing each pouch to contain up to 16 mg of nicotine. Packaging must also be child-proof. Following recommendations from Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Greece recognises this category of nicotine products while banning their sale to minors and by minors.
600,000 fewer smokers in three years
By tightening restrictions on sales to minors and setting nicotine limits on non-tobacco products, the Greece smoking ban aligns with other European harm-reduction policies that have successfully lowered smoking rates.
According to a report by We Are Innovation and Path to Smoke-Free published in June, Greece reduced its number of smokers by 600,000- or 14%- between 2020 and 2023. This demonstrates that cultural change is possible in a country where, for more than a decade, 42% of adults reported smoking. The drop was achieved by combining strict bans with measures that made reduced-harm nicotine products more accessible, alongside public education based on scientific findings.
The most striking reductions in smoking rates are seen in Sweden, where by the end of 2024 the national public health agency announced the adult smoking rate had dropped below 5.3%, with 5% considered internationally as the threshold for a smoke-free environment. By focusing on education, proportional taxation, and support rather than prohibition, Sweden gave smokers practical pathways toward reduced-harm alternatives.
It is notable that, as the use of nicotine pouches increased from 11% to 16%, traditional smokers fell below 5%, down from 11%, according to research by We Are Innovation and Path to Smoke-Free.
Close behind is the Czech Republic, which recorded the fastest drop in smoking rates in Europe, falling seven points from 30% to 23% in just three years. This was achieved through coordinated cross-ministerial harm-reduction policies, including lower taxation on reduced-harm products.
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