To smoke or not to smoke? That is the question that the Fort Collins City Council will take up Tuesday night.

After three years of debate and research, the council will decide whether to pass an anti-smoking ordinance that could mean an end to smoking in all restaurants, bars, bingo parlors and bowling alleys in the city.

The council will review five possible amendments to a model ordinance developed and supported by the Colorado Tobacco Education and Prevention Association, known as the CTEPA model.

The CTEPA model prohibits smoking in all public places, including places of employment and outdoor sports arenas. It also would prohibit smoking within a 20-foot perimeter of any building entrance.

If the council approves an ordinance, it will need a second reading in December.

Denver could also become the next city to ban smoking. More than 3,000 people have signed a petition urging Denver to ban smoking at bars, restaurants and workplaces.

Louisville, in Boulder County, enacted a similar ban earlier last month, following in the footsteps of other cities with smoke-free policies such as Alamosa, Snowmass, Aspen, Boulder, Montrose, Superior and Telluride.

Pueblo is also considering a smoking ban.