Trisha Riley, co-owner of Harper’s, said she contemplated the ban for a long time before making the decision.

“It’s a personal choice,” she said.

“I think it is important for health and business.”

The trend of going smoke-free comes on the heels of several attempts in the Legislature to impose a smoking ban.

One such bill, sponsored by Sen. Ray Basham, D-Taylor, made it to a committee last year, but differences between the House and Senate kept it from being accepted. The Senate supported Basham’s original bill, while the House amended it to exempt cigar bars and casinos.

“Senator Basham wants a ban with no exemptions,” Basham’s Chief of Staff Andrea Cascarilla said.

Cascarilla said Basham is confident the ban will be enacted this year because many new House members are supportive of a ban. If a bill is passed, Michigan will join 34 other states with a ban already in place.

Despite growing popularity, many restaurant and bar owners still are opposed to the ban. Andy Deloney, vice president of public affairs for the Michigan Restaurant Association, said the association is against ?the idea of a state mandate limiting businesses independence.

“We support the freedom and choice (of restaurant owners) to make their decisions,” he said. “More people are voting with their wallets for non-smoking, but some restaurants still choose to cater to smokers.”

Besides allowing the free market work, Deloney said there are concerns about health departments’ ability to enforce the ban with limited staff.

Smoke-free establishments are a welcome relief for non-smoking students such as psychology junior Collin Webster.

“I don’t smoke and it makes it more enjoyable for me,” he said. “ … People who smoke are usually pretty resilient. They’ll go wherever they can smoke.”

But owners of some East Lansing bars that still allow smoking said they are hesitant to switch and risk losing customers.

Joe Bell, owner of The Peanut Barrel Restaurant, 521 E. Grand River Ave., said he’ll wait until the government makes a decision for him.

“When (the bill passes) we’ll cooperate,” he said. “It’ll hurt business initially, but I think it will be OK in the long run.”

Riley said Harper’s hasn’t lost any business since banning smoking.

“There have been a lot ?of people from all standpoints who say they like it,” she ?said.

“It was a risk, but we’re committed to making it work.”