A public hearing is scheduled Tuesday on a proposed no-smoking ordinance in Columbus.

The Columbus City Council will get the public’s input during a regularly scheduled council meeting at 5 p.m.

Columbus resident Alice Clement made an emotional appeal to the city council earlier this month seeking the ban.

Holding up a newspaper article from 1992, Clement said she earlier worked to abolish smoking in public places.

“The challenge is to let others know our concern about their welfare. We’ll all be rewarded with better health; it’s a wise decision not to have smoking in restaurants, wherever,” Clement has said.

“We got smoking out of the (Lowndes County) courthouse and (Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle recently) said no smoking on campus, whatsoever. It takes all of us to be concerned about someone’s health.”

Several Mississippi cities have prohibited people from lighting up in most public places, including restaurants and shopping malls.

Some cities, like Madison, have persuaded business owners to voluntarily ban smoking.