HANNIBAL, MO. -- The Hannibal City Council voted 4 to 3 Tuesday night on an ordinance that places a city-wide smoking ban on the April ballot.
The issue would ban smoking inside Hannibal businesses, including restaurants.
Outdoor areas would not be included.
A couple of residents, including a Hannibal business owner, spoke out against that idea at Tuesday night's Hannibal City Council meeting.
Susan Schubert said, "To me, there ought to be a little plaque out in front of the business that says you're a non-smoking establishment or you're a smoking establishment. You don't like it? Don't go in there."
Broadway Bar Owner Terry Thompson said, "We're afraid that people could just go to New London or Palmyra and drink and smoke. It would take our business away."
City council member and physician Dr. Richard Draper proposed the ordinance.
If the public votes for the ban in April, Draper says Hannibal would follow nine other cities in Missouri with the same type of smoking ban.
This is what he told KHQA last month about the issue.
Dr. Richard Draper said, "I made this a major plank in my platform when I ran for city council. Being a physician, it would be difficult not to support something like this."
Kevin Knickerbocker, Mike Dobson and Barry Louderman voted against the measure.
They think the smoking-ban should be put on the ballot by a petition, not the city council.
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