Ashtrays are back as Greek bars defy smoking ban...

Greek bar and restaurant owners put ashtrays back on the tables on Monday, openly defying a smoking ban introduced by a government struggling to implement changes across society.

The restaurateurs refuse to apply the ban, which came after several failed attempts, saying it drives Europe's heaviest smokers away at a time when business is already down because of Greece's worst recession in decades.

"This ban is the final blow," Yiorgos Kavathas, general secretary of the Greek restaurant owners federation, told Reuters. "Cafes and restaurants are shutting down. Our union estimates that at least 20,000 will close." More...

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