It may get easier for towns to ban smoking in bars

Publication Date: 2005-04-12

• Author:Mike Riopell
• Publication:Chicago (IL) Daily Herald

All cities and villages could ban smoking in bars and restaurants under a proposal approved for the first time by the Illinois Senate on Monday.

State law already bans smoking in most public places, but bars and restaurants currently are exempt.

Twenty cities in Illinois already are allowed to further restrict smoking because they had local regulations when the Illinois Clean Indoor Air Act went into effect in 1990. Skokie, Wilmette and Evanston all have bans of varying degrees in bars and restaurants.

The legislation the Senate approved would give all communities the ability to enact such restrictions, but does not require they do so.