MUNICIPALITY OF ASTYPALEA

The aim of the action is to create a culture where people are encouraged to remove cigarettes from their lives and breathe clean air. This option consists of encouraging residents and visitors to voluntarily follow common guidelines in order to make more spaces smoke-free. In fact, many companies include this action as part of their corporate social responsibility.

In particular, our vision includes:

• facilitating smokers to decide to stop or reduce smoking and adopt a smoke-free lifestyle.
• discouraging young people from starting to smoke.
• limiting passive smoking by discouraging smokers from smoking in the presence of non-smokers, especially children and pregnant women, even when there are no legal restrictions.
• the greatest reduction of environmental smoke exposure and harmful consequences, ensuring citizens' equality in protecting their right to breathe clean indoor air.

Residents and visitors.

The “Astypalea Smoke-Free” action started in October 2018. It has already completed the first year of implementation and continues its journey towards a smoke-free future.

Astypalaia, an island of 1200 inhabitants, 200 miles from Athens with exceptional natural beauty. The inhabitants of Astypalaia are very hospitable and want to spread widely the beauties and quality of life of the island, making it competitive touristically. They want the tourists who visit the island to enjoy the local cuisine, the clean air, the clean seabed, the clean beaches and experience a unique experience that they will take back to their homeland. It seeks its sustainable development that will be based on renewable energy sources and will be a model where nature dominates and man follows it with respect. An island with clean air, clean beaches, clean environment.

Tourism is one of the main sources of income for the residents. The need for Astypalaia to offer something really different was therefore crucial, in order to be recognized as a tourist destination. In the summer of 2018, the Municipal Council of Astypalea made the decision to create a unique character for the island, to improve the standard of living for the residents and visitors of the island. It set a vision to become the first smoke-free island in the world.

Freedom is what we are left with if we remove the obligations we have towards our fellow citizens. So to maintain a high level of freedom, the best thing we can do is agree on some ground rules. Today, Astypalaia is the first island in the world to successfully create a culture where people are encouraged to remove cigarettes from their lives.

Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including 50 known carcinogens and many toxic agents. Exposure to second-hand smoke continues to be an important cause of increased morbidity and mortality in Greece and the European Union, while at the same time burdening society as a whole with significant costs. Passive smoking is, in fact, particularly dangerous for young children, infants and pregnant women.

So, about a year ago, we started a dialogue aimed at protecting the life and health of society as a whole and set a framework for limiting exposure to tobacco smoke and its harmful health consequences, so that enable both island residents and visitors to enjoy the island free from cigarette smoke.

On this basis, we work to continuously improve indoor air quality, in particular by encouraging the reduction of exposure to smoke in indoor workplaces, dining and accommodation, public transport and indoor public spaces.

Action for a smoke-free environment not only protects citizens from the harmful effects of exposure to environmental smoke, but also contributes to reducing the consumption of tobacco products in the entire population. With persistence and vision, and with the support of the Papastratos company, we are working for a society that is moving towards the better, free from cigarette smoke, especially among young people.

PAPASTRATOS, a company of Philip Morris International, supports the Smoke-Free initiative of Astypalaia, as well as any initiative that can lead us to a future without cigarettes. Papastratos is assisting Astypalaia in communicating this initiative worldwide and calls on other cities, islands and organizations to follow its example, adopting a culture that moves us away from cigarettes.

To realize this vision, the Municipality focused on four pillars of actions:

A) Strict adherence to the anti-smoking law

1. Smoking is prohibited inside the City Hall and in the other buildings of the Municipality, as expressly provided by law. The employees of the Municipality are required to observe the law without exceptions.
2. Prohibition of smoking in businesses of health interest. Businesses of health interest apply the prohibition of smoking indoors as defined by law.

B) Informing residents and visitors

Informing the public about the implementation framework of the anti-smoking law through speeches, discussions, information days, relevant signs. Symbolically, the area around the windmills was declared a Smoke-Free zone.

However, the island does not want to be a prohibitive destination for smokers, making them feel uncomfortable. He simply wants to encourage them to leave the cigarette behind in the context of mutual respect that governs the local community.

It worked This summer, an Info-point worked at one of the windmills, an information point regarding the initiative so that interested parties (citizens and visitors) understand the reasons and benefits of the effort.

C) Collaboration with local businesses

1. Smoke-Free accommodations, which to a large extent, not only implemented the law but adopted more stringent standards, universally prohibiting the use of conventional cigarettes in common outdoor areas as well as in rooms.
2. Smoke-Free eating places with a significant number of cafes and restaurants on the island to follow the Smoke-Free initiative, implementing the smoking ban in the indoor areas and informing their employees and customers about it.
3. Smoke-Free beaches: Three beach bars have adopted the island's Smoke-Free culture and invite guests not to smoke in some of their establishments, even if they are outside.

D) Certification of the initiative by a valid independent certification organization

1. The company TUV Austria Hellas created a framework of rules for the certification of the smoke-free culture. The Municipality of Astypalaia invited the company which, after performing all the relevant checks, certified the Municipality for its action plan according to the "smoke-free culture" standard.
2. Seven businesses of the island from the cafe / restaurant / hotel sector also applied, were audited and certified by TUV Austria Hellas.

Already the first results of the action are visible, since we observe a different perception and change in behavior on the island regarding smoking.

Self-regulation appears to be faster and more flexible than narrow legislative channels and better responsive to the culture of the local community. Residents now have a sense of responsibility and the willingness of stakeholders to comply with the agreed commitment and the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms, which is evident from the progress achieved in just one year.

The Municipality of Astypalaia recently received the "Smoke-Free Culture" certification from TUV Austria Hellas, an independent certification organization, which recognized the Municipality's vision and commitment to create an environment on the island that helps to limit smoking on the island.

Particularly,

1. Indoor air quality has improved significantly since the action began. The reduction of exposure to environmental smoke is particularly spectacular in the hospitality and leisure industries. It is hoped that more general smoking restrictions will 'de-normalize' smoking in society, creating an environment that encourages smokers to cut down or quit smoking and will discourage young people from taking up smoking.
2. "Smoke-Free Culture" certification of the Municipality, 3 restaurants and 4 hotels. There were concerns initially about potential damage to the hospitality and catering industry due to the smoking ban. From the comments of the businessmen, however, it seems that the movement for a general ban on smoking not only did not have negative consequences on employment or income in these sectors, but on the contrary, it had a positive impact on the businesses that embraced the ban from the first moment venture.
3. Approximately 30% reduction in conventional cigarette smoking by permanent residents.
4. Increase in tourist traffic on the island compared to the previous year.
5. 7,000 visitors were informed by the employees of the Municipality and the info-point about the smoke-free initiative.
6. Important publicity for the island in Greece and abroad. Since the start of the initiative at least 5 extensive articles in authoritative Greek media and many broadcasts.