As smokers are retreating outside, a new ban will be moving them even farther away from restaurants and public buildings.

Throughout Illinois on Jan. 1, smoking will have to take place 15 feet away from public doors. Currently, smoking is banned within 10 feet of public doors.

In DeKalb, some business owners often have smokers near the doors, but do not think the new rule will be any more effective than it is currently.

“Unless there is a smoking cop, it’s not going to make a difference,” said Trevor Turner, director of operations of O’Learys Irish Pub and Grill, 260 E. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb.

Turner thinks O’Leary’s has benefited from other smoking bans but said they do not have time to measure the distance smoking is taking place from their doors.

DeKalb police do not have the ability to enforce the ban, either.

Lt. Carl Leoni of the DeKalb Police Department said the chance that a police officer should find someone smoking near public doors is pretty small and it is something the business should enforce.

“[Smoking near doors] is allowed because businesses allow it,” Leoni said.

According to Leoni, it’s the responsibility of the businesses to move smokers out for their own customers.

“We don’t have the manpower to check,” Leoni said. “We have more severe problems throughout the day.”

Turner believes O’Leary’s has had enough to deal with by telling customers they couldn’t smoke in the restaurant.

“It’s not our responsibility,” Turner said. “You can only ask a business to participate so much.”

Turner believes the police need to enforce the smoking rule because outside of the restaurant is public.

“I don’t have the right,” Turner said. “[There’s] not a lot we can do.”

Mary Wilson, CEO of Hillside Restaurant, 121 N. Second St., DeKalb, said that on occasion, she also has problems with smoking near the doors, especially with smokers who put their cigarette butts in her flower pots.

“You can smell [the smoke],” Wilson said. “It travels.”

Wilson is another business owner who is not looking to enforce this ban on her customers.

“It would be very hard to enforce,” Wilson said. “Police have plenty to do.”

Unlike most other restaurants in downtown DeKalb, Eduardo’s hasn’t had much of a problem with people smoking near the doors.

“I think smokers have been pretty courteous,” said Jim Balli, an owner of Eduardo’s, 214 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb.

However, the absence of smoking near doors is likely due to a bench near a tree near the restaurant. Balli said smokers usually go there.