Smoking could be outlawed in Skokie restaurants if the Village Board passes an ordinance backed by its Board of Health.

But with anti-smoking proposals under consideration in Skokie and Chicago, two Evanston aldermen said it’s unlikely the city would follow suit.

“I don’t know of anyone that plans to introduce (anti-smoking) legislation here,” said Ald. Gene Feldman (9th).

Lowell Huckleberry, director of the Skokie Board of Health, said his department is pushing for a ban because officials are concerned about the effects of second-hand smoke on employees and customers.

“It is a topic that is likely to generate a lot of interest in the community,” Huckleberry said.

The Skokie Board of Health plans to request a meeting of the Village Board — Skokie’s city council — within the next few weeks to discuss the issue in a public forum, Huckleberry said.

Jay Terry, Evanston’s director of Health and Human Services, said there have been no formal proposals for a smoking ban in Evanston. A city health advisory board is monitoring the Skokie proposal, and Terry said some of its members believe Evanston should consider a ban as well.

Terry said there should be a uniform smoking policy in the region — so if Skokie and Chicago pass ordinances, Evanston should consider one.

“Ideally it’s something the state legislature should decide, rather than pitting one suburb against the other,” Terry said.

Some Skokie restaurateurs and bar owners said they are concerned a smoking ban would have a negative impact on their business.

“It will be terrible,” said Iouri Mertchiar, manager of Agatha’s Restaurant in Skokie, which serves Greek cuisine. “I have many customers who come in to smoke and have a coffee or some sweet stuff, especially before and after work. I discussed non-smoking with these customers, and they said they would not come anymore if they’re not allowed to smoke.”

But Huckleberry disputed that a smoking ban would have a negative impact on Skokie restaurants’ business.

“There are many studies that show this is not the case,” he said. “In other places where anti-smoking ordinances have been imposed, business has not declined one bit.”

Brendhan McClusky, manager of Maggiano’s Little Italy at Old Orchard Shopping Center, said the restaurant “already takes care of the non-smokers” by having a smoke-free dining room.

“Most restaurants do a good job of separating the smoking areas from the non-smoking areas,” he said. “They should allow restaurant entrepreneurs to have both worlds.”

The Village Board will have the final say on the ban, but Huckleberry said a committee probably will meet a few more times before a decision is made.

“Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in the United States,” Huckleberry said. “Anything possible to lessen the degree of damage should be done.”

Evanston’s situation is different from Skokie’s since most restaurants are already largely non-smoking, Feldman said. The maximum proportion of smoking areas in a restaurant is 50 percent, but in most places, 80 to 90 percent of the restaurant is non-smoking, he said.

Ald. Edmund Moran (6th) said the smoking issue was raised in Evanston about seven or eight years ago, but it didn’t garner much support in City Council.

“The basic point was the fact that restaurants and pubs came in and basically said they are not for smoking, but the bottom line is (they serve) a significant percentage of patrons who smoke,” Moran said. “If (smoking were) banned, they would lose their patronage. It’s very easy to go someplace else.”

The council then decided it would be a bad idea for Evanston to take the lead in the matter, Moran said.

Dick Peach, president of the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, said passing an anti-smoking ordinance would be tougher in Evanston because so much of the city’s income comes from restaurants and bars.

“They provide a major cash influx, and they generate so many sales tax dollars and liquor tax dollars,” Peach said.

Huckleberry said bars and restaurants should be seen as workplaces.

“It’s a place of employment for a lot of people, and those employees need to be protected from second-hand smoke,” he said.

It would be better if there were no smoking at all, Feldman said, but he doesn’t think it’s his place to make that decision.

“The less people are exposed to second-hand smoke, the better,” he said. “But you know, I’m not their mothers and fathers. There comes a time when the government has to stand back and let people do what they will.”

The Daily’s Dalia Naamani-Goldman contributed to this report.