ATHENS – The New Democracy government’s war on smoking and enforcing a long-ignored ban – that has seen fines issued as a crackdown stepped up – will now try to convince teenagers not to light up and stop the habit.

The Health Ministry’s Action Plan Against Smoking includes a campaign to convince teens that “smoking is not cool” by distributing educational material at schools warning of the perils of tobacco and related products, and stressing the benefits of a healthier lifestyle, said Kathimerini.

According to a recent survey by the University Mental Health Research Institute, there’s reason for optimism with signs that teens are beginning to turn away from smoking in a country that has one of the highest rates in the European Union and the world.

signs for getting children to turn their backs to tobacco are already encouraging.

It found that the percentage of 11- 13- and 15-year-olds who have smoked at least once dropped last year to 15.5 from 22.7 in 2006, while those who smoke every day shrank to 3.3 percent from 5.3 in 2006.

But more of the young are turning to electronic cigarettes, vaping, with 36.7 percent saying they had tried it as and alternative to tobacco or otherwise although evidence has emerged in the United States that it can be deadly.