Bermuda?s restaurants and bars support Government?s proposed ban on smoking in all public spaces, the Chamber of Commerce said yesterday.

Government tabled the Tobacco Products (Public Health) Amendment Act 2005 in the House of Assembly on Friday, which set out to ban all cigarette vending machines, increase the buying age to 18 and impose $250 fines for having a cigarette in bars, restaurants and hotels.

?There has been a general support by the membership but only if the ban was completely across the board,? chairman of the Chamber of Commerce?s Restaurant Division, Philip Barnett said yesterday. ?As we understand it, it affects bars, nightclubs and restaurants all the same? similar to other jurisdictions.?

As many restaurants and bars in Bermuda are already smoke free ? including Tio Pepe in Southampton since January, the Mid-Ocean Club clubhouse from 2004, and Monty?s on Pitts Bay Road since 2002, he said the writing had been on the wall for years.

?The membership discussed this well over three years ago,? he said. ?As soon as we saw something come up the members took a vote that we would be supportive.?

However, he predicted that some of their smoking customers would not be happy about the change.

?I know it would upset some of our clientele who will have to step outside, or for those establishments with a balcony or alfresco dining, the smokers will have to sit there,? he said. ?But overall as is always the case, the staff work hard in these conditions and the majority of staff strongly support the ban.?

Mr. Barnett expected the bill to pass through Parliament as the Opposition had publicly supported a smoking ban in the past. ?We will follow the law when it passes,? he said.

However, the blanket ban on vending machines could be a sticking point, he said.

?Vending machines increase income directly as the operators give a commission to the establishments that keep the machines,? he said. ?This will result in a loss of revenue. In other jurisdictions, cigarettes are only available for purchase in night-club licensed or cabaret licensed premises because no one is allowed to be inside unless they are over-18 anyway.

Mr. Barnett did not understand banning vending machines in all locations but said exceptions could only be made at the discretion of Health and Family Services Minister Patrice Minors once the bill was passed.