(Columbia) March 29, 2005 - In most restaurants, you make the decision when you walk in: smoking or non-smoking?

The choice will be made for you if some lawmakers have their way. They want to make it illegal to smoke in restaurants statewide.

Richland Democrat Todd Rutherford feels strongly on the subject, "If you want to engage in stupid behavior like smoking, you ought to be able to do so. However, when it starts infringing on my rights, no. You're not allowed to go, you should not be allowed to go sit in a restaurant and smoke when there are children next to you, when there are pregnant women next to you, when there are other people next to you that may have asthma or whatever it is."

Rep. Rutherford dismisses talk about personal freedoms on this issue, "This is not about personal rights or personal freedoms. This is about public health."

The smoking ban bill echoes a similar effort in the city of Columbia. Marc Gardner of Smoke Free Columbia speaks about that effort, "Our city government, our government in general has an obligation to ensure that a patron who goes into a restaurant or an employee who works at a restaurant or a bar is not exposed to deadly, cancer-causing agents."

The Columbia group claims 80 percent of those polled support a citywide ban on smoking in restaurants. Longtime restaurant owner Duncan McRae is not among them, "I think the government is getting into places they don't belong. Hospital rooms, bedrooms, smoking rooms."

The legislation as it is now drafted would exempt bars from the smoking ban. That could be a problem, because in some cases, the bar and the restaurant are virtually the same.

The head of the organization representing most of the state's restaurants says getting rid of smoking has helped at least one chain draw more customers. He also says it's a marketing decision that should be left up to each business owner.

Surprisingly, not every smoker is strongly against the proposal. Smoker Margaret Harris, for example, says, "I could see maybe banning it from tables, but I don't think it needs to be banned from bars. I think that's kind of redundant. It's a bar."

The statewide smoking ban bill has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee.

Reported by Jack Kuenzie
Updated 10:56am by Chantelle Janelle