Café owner and smoker fined by police in Rhodes for lighting up

A smoker and the owner of a café on the island of Rhodes have been fined after a customer called the police and complained of cigarette smoking on the premises.

As part of the new Greek government’s push to implement the anti-smoking law, police fined both the smoker and the business owner of an indoor/outdoor café in Ialyssos, a large town on Rhodes island.

According to local reports, a customer was annoyed by the cigarette smoke and after the smoker refused to put it out, the customer called the police to report the incident.

A police patrol of Ialyssos rushed to the spot and fined the business owner 500 euros and the smoker 50 euros.

The business owner alleges that the smoker was not in a “restricted zone” and that the fine was unjustified.

The café owner has since told local media that the smoker was sitting outside, where customers are allowed to light up and stressed that the outdoor space of the café is open on three sides, as the law permits.

He also added that he is now seeking legal advice as he doesn’t believe he or the smoker should have to pay the fines.

Greece’s smoking ban will be fully implemented by the end of the month, with the Health Ministry announcing there will be a new phone line released to the public for people to report smoking violations.