Momentum may be building for a statewide ban on smoking in public places.

As more Kansas communities approve a hodgepodge of smoking bans, it starts making more sense to standardize smoking regulations across the state.

At least 17 Kansas cities and counties, including many of the state’s largest cities, already have jumped on the bandwagon. Lawrence, Leawood, Olathe, Overland Park, Salina, Hutchinson and Garden City have passed some kind of ban on smoking in public places. A smoking ban also is under consideration in Wichita, the state’s largest city.

Although many Kansas residents are interested in eliminating cigarette smoke in public places, cities are including a wide variety of exceptions to their bans.

Some cities ban smoking only in city-owned buildings and vehicles while some include all indoor public places. Some have different rules for private clubs and public places. Some have limited enforcement hours; Salina and Parsons, for instance, prohibit smoking in restaurants but only between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. Standardizing these regulations statewide could be a way to bring more consistency and fairness to smoking bans in Kansas.

By upholding the Lawrence smoking ban earlier this year, the Kansas Supreme Court eliminated a major legal obstacle to a statewide measure. And Kansas certainly wouldn’t be the first state to pass such a ban. At least 25 states and territories already have adopted smoking restrictions.

This summer, the state’s Legislative Coordinating Council affirmed its stand against statewide action on smoking regulations. Nonetheless, Sen. Roger Reitz, R-Manhattan, said he planned to introduce a bill next year banning smoking in all public places. Reitz, a physician, said he sees a desire for this issue to be addressed at the state level and, even though it’s an election year, he’s ready to move forward on that effort.

The smoking bans that continue to proliferate across the state seem to indicate broad public support for restricting smoking in public places. Although there certainly are those who oppose the bans, the bans that have been approved so far seem to be working well. Maybe a statewide ban is a bad idea, but it seems at least worth debating.