DENVER -- The city of Denver may soon join the growing list of Colorado cities where it is against the law to smoke in most public places.

Mayor Wellington Webb and Councilwoman Happy Haynes announced a plan Monday afternoon that would prohibit smoking in restaurants in the Mile High City.

In the plan, which has yet to be drafted, smokers will be allowed to light up in the smoking lounges at Denver International Airport and bars, although managers of many restaurants that have bars are curious about how bars will be defined.

The current city ordinance provides for smoke-free workplaces, with the exception of bars, restaurants, employers with fewer than four workers, cigar bars, and DIA smoking lounges. Restaurants are required to provide a separate seating area for patrons who smoke, but are not required to provide a physical barior separating smoking and non-smoking areas.

Smoking has been limited or banned in public places in a number of Colorado cities including Alamosa, Boulder, Fort Collins, Louisville, Montrose, Superior and Snowmass.

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A smoking ban approved by the city council of Pueblo was later overturned by petition.

Webb said he hopes a vote on the ban will occur before he leaves office but said it might be six months after that before such a ban could actually take effect.

Webb and Haynes say the smoking ban is not about economics -- but rather, about protecting the health of restaurant workers.

Some critics of the idea say Denver restaurants would lose business to nearby cities and towns if a smoking ban is imposed.

Of the seven candidates running for Denver mayor, only two people support a citywide smoking ban.

Don Mares and Elizabeth Schosser support a smoking ban in Denver's restaurants. But John Hickenlooper, Penfield Tate, Ari Zavaras, and Phil Perrington do not support such a ban, saying that it would effect the economy.

Susan Casey said she supports a regional and state-wide ban on smoking and a significant increase on the tobacco tax, but has no firm opinion on a city ban, because a final proposal has not been drafted.

"A smoking ban that only effects restaurants in the city and county of Denver will hurt restaurants on Denver's borders as smoking patrons will take their business across the city/county line, creating an economic disadvantage for restaurants on Denver's borders and reducing Denver's much-needed sales tax revenue as well," said Hickenlooper, the current front-runner, in a public statement.

"The smoking ban is an environmental health issue, adults can choose to smoke or not, but our children cannot," said Mares, who is currently running second in the polls. "I do not want my children, or any other child, to be exposed to the danger of second-hand smoke when they eat at a Denver restaurant or attend a public event in Denver. As adults, it is our job to protect children and we must do everything possible to keep them from harm."