Some hundred people from the public sector as well as human resources managers were there to listen to Sweden’s experience and evaluations that’s been done on this matter so far. Most of all the seminar manage to illuminate the fact that Sweden’s restaurateurs were very critical to the ban before it started and that they now could see that the number of visitors almost didn’t drop at all.

The health ministry’s chief for public health Mrs Pantazopoulou informed about the coming changes and the ministry’s commitment to this issue. This started an intense discussion among the listeners about the necessity and need for information to the employers in an early stage ahead of the ban.
- The ban is the most important preventive measure that has been taken in Greece, said the health ministry’s representative.

Professor Paraskevi Pataka-Argyropolou from the university in Thessaloniki presented the statistics and comparing numbers and meant the smoking is not a habit, it’s a disease that has to be treated since it is costing for the society. With her wide knowledge about the questions regarding both the legislation and the lack in the social security law where only a few funds are compensating for medicine treating treatment for smokers, he awoke a lively debate among the guests.

The seminar ended with presentations by Swedish Match on the Swedish “snus” and by Systemair which sells and installs ventilations products and smoke rooms.

The TV-channel SKAÏ broadcasted a long report from the seminar later during the evening news