An Illinois House health committee has approved a bill that would ban most indoor smoking in the state, sending the measure to the full House for a vote, the Associated Press reported Feb. 7.

The measure, passed on a 6-4 vote, would ban smoking in bars, restaurants, and other public places. Supporter Dr. Robert McLafferty of Southern Illinois University School of Medicine said secondhand smoke kills up to 9,000 state residents each year, and that working an eight-hour shift in a smoke-filled environment is the same as smoking a pack of cigarettes.

Business owners countered that they should have the right to decide about smoking on their property. They also criticized lawmakers for pressing the statewide ban just a year after voting to allow local governments to decide their own smoking policies. "This bill would pull the rug out from under them right in the middle of the process," said Stephen Riedl, executive director of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association.