DeKalb bars are now smoke-free.

It’s too bad. We almost got a semester’s reprieve.

Seven DeKalb bar owners sent a letter to DeKalb City Council attempting to push back the smoking ban to when the statewide ban is enacted on Jan. 1, 2008.

In response, on Aug. 13, a consideration came before the city council’s Committee of the Whole, the council’s preliminary legislative body.

Fourth Ward alderwoman Donna Gorski lobbied to get the ban delayed, expressing concern about losing business to neighboring communities.

Kris Povlsen, 2nd Ward alderman and outspoken proponent of the smoking ban, said too much work went into creating the policy and delaying the ban would undermine years of feedback and research.

Mayor Frank Van Buer agreed, reiterating that the ban was needed for customers’ and employees’ health.

The consideration failed to make it to the council floor by a 2-4-1 vote.

DeKalb likes to regulate more than necessary.

The result is a college town without a tattoo parlor or anything else that may be viewed as unscrupulous, such as smoking.

The night the smoking ban passed, former aldermen James Barr and Steve Kapitan warned that DeKalb was trending toward overregulation.

However, city officials view the ban as successful policy and are proud because DeKalb moved forward on a ban before other communities.

Now that the state has enacted a ban as it appeared it would, this local movement seems like a waste of limited city resources.

We should have let the state use its own, as it ultimately did.

Because of this, DeKalb bar owners are on an uneven playing field. Until 2008, Sycamore bars and restaurants will have much more popular smoking sections.

If you are health conscious, I’m not sure the local pub is the place to be, but for now, you can breathe easy.

DeKalb made sure of it.