Restaurant traders in Melbourne's south east are banning meals from their alfresco dining menus in favour of allowing punters to light up a cigarette.
Oakleigh's Eaton Mall, the epicentre of Melbourne's Greek community, is a popular place for elderly Greek men each morning.
For years they have filled the outdoor tables in the precinct, their chatter heard through a thick cloud of smoke as they sip coffee and puff on cigarettes.
But under tough new laws enforced by the state government on Monday, smoking is banned from nearly all outdoor dining areas in Victoria.
The changes have left restuarant owners up in arms, with some banning serving outdoor meals at certain times of the day to allow smokers to light up.
"What a lot of people don't understand is that taking a cigarette away from an elderly Greek man is like taking away everything he's got," he said. "They come down each morning... they could stay five or six hours. It's their life, having a coffee, a cigarette, having some cake, socialising with their friends... that's the way it's always been."
Greek translation forthcoming
Have they gone too far ?
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New legislation outlined smoking is only allowed in restaurants and pubs with enough real estate to establish four-metre buffers between smokers and diners. Others can erect 2.1-metre-high cafe blinds.
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