DENVER -- There will no doubt be some controversy at the next Denver City Council meeting Monday night. The council will take its first vote on a new law banning smoking at most restaurants.

The Colorado Restaurant Association is fighting the plan. It's concerned about a survey that found 19 percent of customers would go elsewhere if smoking is banned in Denver.

Pete Meersman, who represents that 3,000 restaurants in the Colorado Restaurant Association, said that businesses would be crippled financially and such a crucial decision should be left to the owner of the restaurant.

"We also feel that our restaurant operators are accommodating requests by their nonsmoking customers either by making their dining rooms nonsmoking or going smoke free entirely," Meersman said.

In that same Denver Health-University of Denver survey, 59 percent of Denver residents would prefer eating at a smoke-free restaurant and 21 percent said they have no preference.

Councilwoman Happy Haynes, who is sponsoring the proposed ban, said that the city of Denver needs to lead the way when it comes to health issues, and she want to pass this proposal before a new council and a new mayor step in on July 21.

"This is only one of a number of attempts to finish up what we started, leave new group to new challenges," said Haynes.

Mayor Wellington Webb supports a smoking ban. Denver Mayor-elect John Hickenlooper has said he supports a statewide smoking ban in bars and restaurants but is concerned that a ban in just in Denver would hurt the city's businesses.

The proposal would ban smoking in restaurants but allow smoking in private clubs and bars.

If the measure passes Monday night, the issue will be taken up in a public hearing on June 30. If the ban is passed, it would take effect on Jan. 1.

Many communities have already gone smoke free including Alamosa, Louisville, Snowmass Village, Pueblo and Fort Collins.

Aspen, Boulder, Montrose, Superior and Telluride also have some form of a smoking restriction.