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City Council Bans Smoking in Bars and Restaurants
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COLUMBIA - Time's running out to smoke in Columbia bars and restaurants.

However, an amendment to the new ordinance will allow smoking on patios if they are at least 50% smoke-free and are not in walkways near restrooms or entrances. The ban's supporters said that will help businesses.

"Just for the fact that they have a front door or a back door and people can still walk out the front door or back door and smoke," said Rachel Anderson of Peers Against Secondhand Smoke.

But, Otto's doesn't have a patio and Bohr worries about losing customers to bars that do.

"It obviously, you know, will be a healthy environment," he admitted. "And there will be people that probably haven't been here before that might come."

The bar-restaurant smoking ban takes effect Jan. 9, including a fine of up to $200.

Edited by: Jonathan Coffman
Reported by: Jennifer Jarvis
Edited by: Ken Eich

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