In a bid to set an example for diehard Greek smokers who will be obliged to curb their habit in all public places as of July 1, Parliament Speaker Dimitris Sioufas yesterday declared that a smoking ban would come into force in Parliament by the end of this month.

Sioufas, reportedly a heavy smoker himself, said the ban in Parliament would apply not just to the plenary session hall but to all parts of the building, except for the canteen and club house. According to sources, smoking will be forbidden in Sioufas’s office too. Sioufas is said to be optimistic, noting that other countries with a large proportion of heavy smokers have managed to enforce the European Union-dictated restrictions. The Health Ministry decided to adopt EU reforms six months ahead of the original deadline, January 1 2010, as it is thought smokers will have fewer problems adapting to the measures in the summer.