Garden City ? Smokers in this western Kansas town must snuff out their cigarettes in bars, restaurants and many other public places starting Jan. 8.

Commissioners approved the ban Tuesday after two months of deliberation.

“It’s a health issue, bottom line, for me,” Commissioner Reynaldo Mesa said. “It always has been.”

The ban also bars smokers from lighting up inside or within 50 feet of the primary entrances of fraternal organizations, sports arenas and public governmental assemblies. Educational complexes also were included on the list, even though the Garden City school district already had prohibited smoking.

Absent from the list of places where smoking is prohibited is private offices.

Supporters of the ban called the ordinance a step in the right direction.

“Obviously, we would’ve liked to see something stronger, but this is a great start,” said Donna Gerstner, a member of the Finney County Health Coalition, who lobbied for change. “We cannot be disappointed with what took place.”

Gerstner said the next step could be lobbying Finney County officials to extend the ban beyond the city limits of Garden City.

Opponents of the ban did not speak out before commissioners voted.

Commissioners began debating a smoking ban in an effort to protect nonsmokers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. They considered a more stringent plan that would have barred smoking in private offices, similar to the ban in Lawrence. Commissioners also considered a weaker ban that would only have prohibited smoking only during certain hours at specified places.

“There are going to be folks who are very unhappy with it,” Mayor Gary Fuller said. “But there are others who are going to be very happy with it.”

A $100 fine will be imposed for first-time violators – smokers who refuse to snuff their cigarettes and entities that don’t enforce the ban. Offenders will be subject to a $200 fine the second time they violate the ordinance and $500 after that.

But Randy Grisell, the city’s legal counsel, said prosecutions will be focused on those who knowingly flout the law.