Chicago bans public smoking, offers bars two years to comply

The City Council approved a ban on smoking in nearly all public places Wednesday but gave a two-year grace period to taverns and to bars inside restaurants.

The measure was approved 45-1 after months of debate and aggressive lobbying on both sides of the issue by groups such as the American Cancer Society and the Illinois Restaurant Association.

The ordinance was a compromise between health advocates who wanted an immediate, all-out ban and businesses that wanted a less stringent measure, the AP reports.

The ban takes effect Jan. 16. More than 10 states and dozens of U.S. cities and counties now ban smoking in restaurants, bars or both. P.L.