SCOTT CITY ? A group of high school students has convinced the City Council to consider an ordinance that would ban smoking in Scott City restaurants.

Not everybody is happy about the efforts of the five students, who said they were concerned about the health hazards of secondhand smoke.

“It’s mainly to help the youth and to help the health,” said Bethany Beckman, a Scott City High School junior.

But restaurant operator Debbie Montgomery said the issue was about a lot more than that.

“It’s about rights,” said Montgomery, an outspoken opponent of the proposed ban. “We’re fighting it. The nonsmokers (who frequent the restaurant) are even supporting us.”

Montgomery, whose restaurant has a separately enclosed smoking area, foresees a “pretty heated” debate.

The council instructed the city attorney to draw up a draft ordinance prohibiting smoking in restaurants that officials will consider Jan. 19.

“Naturally it’s going to be controversial,” Mayor Junior Strecker said. “That’s just the normal reaction.”

City Councilman Terry Faurot said he’d like to see local restaurants voluntarily ban smoking, but he’s opposed to rules forcing them to do so.

“I just feel like that’s a decision that the business owners should have,” he said. He said if a person didn’t want to eat somewhere that smoking is allowed, there’s always the option of going elsewhere.

Julie Ferrell, who manages a fast-food Mexican restaurant, agrees that any smoking decision should be left up to restaurant operators. But she said she’d go along with whatever the city decides.

“If they say I have to do it, I have to,” she said.

Half of the city’s eight restaurants already ban smoking, City Clerk Brenda Davis said.

Two bars in the city would not be affected by any ban because the students’ proposal applies only to eating establishments that draw families.