NATCHEZ — Smoking in public places may not be so easy to snuff out in Natchez.

The majority — 57 percent to be exact — of local tourism and business officials present at a Monday meeting were against a proposed smoking ban in restaurants and bars.

Approximately 50 people attended the meeting of the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Council.

The remaining votes were split between those favoring some type of smoking ordinance with 30 percent voting in favor of an ordinance that would contain restrictions or exceptions for businesses such as bars and casinos. And 13 percent said they favored an across-the-board ban on smoking.

Tourism Council Chairman Baxter Lee said the purpose of the meeting was to formulate an opinion that could then be presented to the board of aldermen as a sort of recommendation from the tourism community.

“This can be a very polarizing issue,” Lee said. “It is important that everyone have a chance to express their opinion.”

Aldermen James “Ricky” Gray and Bob Pollard, who originally brought up the idea, attended the meeting along with Mark Fortenbery and Natchez Mayor Jake Middleton.

During the meeting, Gray tried to ease concerns business people had over the possible economic impact a smoking ordinance would have.

“We are not trying to harm anyone’s business,” he said. “That is not the intention at all. The intention is to try to save lives.”

But some business people were still concerned that a ban on smoking inside public buildings would negatively affect their businesses.

General manager of the Isle of Capri casino Tony Scudiero said he had no doubt that business would drop if a smoking ban were put in place at casinos.

“If an ordinance were to say ‘no smoking’ in casinos it would be completely devastating,” he said. “In Calgary, Alberta, (Canada) where I used to work, revenue dropped 30 to 40 percent after a smoking ban.”

He also said his personal opinion didn’t differ much from his business opinion when it came to telling people where they can smoke.

“Personally, this has nothing to do with the Isle, I’d like to see it stay the way it is,” Scuidero said. “It should be left up to the business owners.”

But as admittedly as Scuidero argued against a ban on smoking, other Natchez business people were in favor of a smoking ordinance.

Regina Charboneau, owner of Twin Oaks Bed and Breakfast, said she is in favor of an across-the-board ban on smoking in Natchez. Charboneau said that while in the restaurant business in San Francisco she faced a similar smoking ban.

“Having a bar business, I was afraid it would hurt my business, but it didn’t at all.”

Shawyn Mars, owner of King’s Tavern, said his restaurant and bar have a sort of smoking ordinance already in place.

“The restaurant is smoke free. But we allow smoking in the bar, and if you choose, you can order off the full menu in the bar,” Mars said during the discussion.

Mars said while he wasn’t a smoker, he understood the need for businesses to be open to both smokers and nonsmokers.

“Provisions could be made in casinos for people who don’t smoke,” he said. “I think businesses should be able to make their own decisions while making provisions for people who don’t smoke.”

In other action, Tourism Director Connie Taunton announced that there were billboards promoting Natchez currently in place in Bossier, La., Shreveport, La., Alexandria, La., Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Vicksburg and Jackson.

Sally Durkin gave a presentation on the progress of the CVB’s Web site. She said the CVB is “working frantically to upload information.”

The site will include information about accommodations, restaurants, meeting planning and wedding planning as well as a link to the CVB’s Facebook page.

Natchez Downtown Development Association Director Carrie Lambert announced changes to First Friday festivities that included a change in the events’ start time from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m.