When anti-smoking activists celebrated the first reading of a smoke-free workplace ordinance at Summerville Town Council in December, they promised they were working on Dorchester County Council members to pass something similar.

Now, in the first county council meeting of the year, council will take up first reading of such an ordinance.

Councilman Larry Hargett said he’s sponsoring the ordinance because constituents have asked for it.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘When are we going to do this?’” he said.

He believes there’s substantial support among the public for a smoking ban, though he doesn’t know how most of his fellow council members feel.

The first reading is scheduled to be a reading of the title only; the ordinance itself is still being drafted, though it should be very similar to Summerville’s.

Some of the objections to Summerville’s ordinance have come from restaurant and bar owners who said patrons would go to businesses in the county where they would be able to smoke.

A Dorchester County ordinance would partially alleviate that problem – Charleston County still allows smoking.

Summerville is expected to consider final reading of its ordinance Jan. 12.

Dorchester County will consider first reading of its ordinance Jan. 4 in Summerville – its meeting, usually on a Monday, has been moved to Tuesday because of the New Year’s Day holiday.

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