18 July 2025 | Country Update
New law on tobacco and alcohol, 202522 July 2024 | Country Update
The National Screening Programme “Prolamvano” (“I prevent”)30 November 2021 | Country Update
New lung cancer control strategy31 March 2021 | Country Update
National Action Plan for Public Health 2021–202530 October 2019 | Country Update
Greece introduces new tobacco control action plan and strengthened anti-smoking legislation11 July 2019 | Country Update
New supervised drug use areas target the safety of intravenous drug usersThe public health system in Greece carries out epidemiological monitoring and infectious disease control as well as environmental health control, health promotion and disease prevention at community level. The system consists of a centralized service within the Ministry of Health, a grid of services at the regional and local levels and a number of public health organizations under the auspices of the Ministry of Health that operate as autonomous bodies and provide laboratory, research, educational and statistical support.
Responsibility for public health services nationally lies with the Directorate for Public Health within the Directorate General for Public Health and Health Services in the Ministry of Health. It is responsible for monitoring, prevention and combating communicable and noncommunicable diseases; sourcing and quality control of vaccines; public health risk management; child and mother health; environmental health and sanitation; hygienic control of water and waste, air pollution, radioactivity and radiation; health and safety at work; school health; dealing with illicit drug abuse; and the supervision of various public health organizations (e.g. KEELPNO, the National Centre for Diabetes Mellitus, the Organization Against Drugs and the Hellenic Pasteur Institute) and a network of laboratories and services. In addition, the independent ESYDY is responsible for coordinating public health organizations concerned with monitoring and promoting population health, controlling communicable diseases and overseeing pharmaceuticals, medical devices and transplants.
Furthermore, the Ministry produces health promotion and health education leaflets and relevant radio and television advertisements, particularly against tobacco and alcohol consumption. Smoke-free legislation for most indoor public places and public transport was passed in 2010 (Law 3868/2010) but enforcement is weak, particularly in bars and restaurants.
Operational responsibility for public health services falls on a grid of actors at the regional and local level. At the regional level, public health directorates within the regional authorities include health prevention and promotion departments, with competences such as the implementation of programmes for immunization and preventive medicine, mother and child care, chronic ailments, illnesses not easily susceptible to treatment and health education activities. At the local level, municipalities are responsible for running several prevention and promotion programmes within primary care through municipal health clinics, open care centres for the elderly and public infant and child care centres; they also provide care for vulnerable population groups.
A Central Laboratory for Public Health, a number of regional laboratories for public health (part of PEDYs) and the public health and hygiene laboratories that operate in medical schools and in a number of selected public hospitals are designated as reference centres for various diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis, salmonella, parasitic diseases and tropical diseases. Greece also participates in several European networks for public health, including the Epidemiological Surveillance Network, the European Legionnaires’ disease Surveillance Network, a surveillance network for meningococcal disease, the European Tuberculosis Surveillance Network and Euro-HIV.
Starting in May 2016, the Ministry of Health and KEELPNO developed a system for epidemiological surveillance in first reception centres hosting refugees coming from Asia, with daily collection of epidemiological data for selected conditions. In addition, contracted NGOs offering services to first reception centres now collect migrant health data through individual health information, organization of patient files and registration of the provided medical services (WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2015).
Traditionally, public health services in Greece have taken a back seat in favour of the development of secondary health care services (Box5.1). Public health doctors have a low status within ESY and there have always been problems with their recruitment. Therefore, all levels of public health services are severely understaffed. Underscoring this situation, the first National Action Plan for Public Health (2008–2012), which was developed by ESYDY, was never implemented. The Plan emphasized 15 major health hazards (substance abuse, cancer, sexual health, diet and nutrition, alcohol consumption, cardiovascular diseases, environmental health, smoking, vehicle accidents, oral health, infectious diseases, travel health, rare diseases, HIV/AIDS, and antimicrobial resistance and nosocomial infections) (Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity, 2008). In addition, the lack of an official national prevention and screening programme has had negative effects on the population’s health (Chapter 7) (Panagoulopoulou et al., 2010; Trigoni et al., 2011).
Box5.1
In July 2025, Greece enacted a new law (Law 5216/2025) aimed at protecting minors from the harmful effects of tobacco and alcohol consumption. The legislation introduces stricter regulations on the sale, distribution and availability of these products to individuals under 18. It aims to address issues such as underage drinking, exposure to smoking in public spaces and the potential for minors to be exposed to harmful products.
The new law is expected to significantly impact the way tobacco and alcohol are sold and consumed in Greece, particularly in nightlife venues and retail settings. By strengthening enforcement and increasing penalties, the government hopes to deter businesses from selling to minors and create a safer environment for young people.
Key provisions include:
Mandatory age verification: Customers must provide valid identification to prove they are over 18 when purchasing tobacco, alcohol and related products, including heated tobacco and cannabis derivatives.
Sales restrictions: The sale of these products to minors is prohibited in retail outlets, vending machines and through online platforms.
Access restrictions: Minors are prohibited from entering, remaining in or working in entertainment venues that serve alcohol.
Enforcement: The law establishes a unified enforcement system with penalties for violations, including fines and potential business suspensions. Enforcement will be carried out by municipal health services, local police, port authorities and the Hellenic Police (ELAS).
Criminal liability: Servers and bartenders who serve alcohol to minors can now face criminal charges, extending responsibility beyond business owners.
Advertising restrictions: The law also includes limitations on advertising for these products.
Digital registry: A digital registry will be established to oversee the circulation of tobacco products.
Market oversight: The law establishes a dedicated division within the National Public Health Organization (EODY) to oversee the tobacco market.
As part of the “Spyros Doxiadis” National Prevention Programme, on 26 April 2024 the Ministry of Health presented the National Screening Programme “Prolamvano” (“I prevent”), with the central message “prevention saves lives”. The program is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund (EUR 200 million until 2025) and includes:
The beneficiaries of the above screenings will receive a digital prescription by text message to their mobile phone or e-mail.
Ministry of Health, Presentation of the National Screening Programme “Prolamvano”, Athens 26 April 2024. (https://www.moh.gov.gr/articles/ministry/grafeio-typoy/press-releases/12378-paroysiash-toy-ethnikoy-programmatos-prosymptwmatikoy-elegxoy-laquo-prolambanw-raquo) (in Greek).
Skurogianni R., Greece is implementing for the first time in its history a comprehensive National Program for Prevention. (https://www.greekradiofl.com/en/Greece-implements-for-the-first-time-in-i/)
In March 2021 the Hellenic Society of Oncologists (HeSMO) presented a comprehensive action plan against lung cancer (2021–2026), which aims to lower the cases of lung cancer incidents in Greece, promote a higher survival rate, and enable a better experience for lung cancer patients and their caregivers. The Ministry of Health will have political supervision of the National Action Plan and will control its financial management. The National Committee for Lung Cancer, with the coordination of HeSMO, will directly cooperate with all those involved and will be accountable to the Ministry of Health for the implementation of the project. In November 2021, the deputy minister of health stated that the ministry is working on the preparation of the plan’s implementation in collaboration with EOPYY (National Organization for the Provision of Health Services), the Hellenic Pulmonary Society, with parallel representation from patients’ organizations.
In March 2021 Greece adopted its National Action Plan for Public Health 2021–2025, which takes a comprehensive approach to modernising Greece’s public health services and to addressing a spectrum of preventive, inter-sectoral and health promotion policies. Key axes of action include mapping of behavioural, social and environmental health risk factors of the population; managing diseases with a high burden of morbidity through implementation of national action plans for diseases such as cancer; and prevention, protection and improvement of the health of the population, in particular for vulnerable groups.
Poor compliance and enforcement of existing bans on smoking in public spaces has led the Greek government to introduce stronger anti-smoking legislation as part of its new tobacco control action plan. The law prohibits smoking in all public indoor areas, including health care facilities, schools, restaurants and clubs. Smoking is also banned in taxis, private vehicles carrying children, sports arenas and playgrounds. There are heavy penalties for violations and dedicated inspectors to enforce the law.
Newly introduced Supervised Drug Use Areas aim to promote and protect the health of active drug users through a range of services. These include, specially designed areas for injecting, suitable equipment for the safe use of narcotics; information on how to prevent the spread of communicable diseases; emergency care in the case of overdose; outreach programmes; advise on the safe use of drugs; and access to a range of counseling, rehabilitative, medical and social services. This new initiative will be operated by Greece's Organization Against Drugs (OKANA), the Dependent Users Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (KETHEA), and the two psychiatric hospitals in Athens and Thessaloniki.
Legislation
Ministerial Decision No D2a/oik.40101, Determination of the conditions and the prerequisites for the establishment and functioning of Supervised Drug Use Areas.