As more cities and villages adopt bans on smoking in indoor public places, including restaurants and bars, it makes more sense for Wisconsin to take the trend statewide.

The Dane County Board should advance the cause by adopting a smoking ban to cover the county 's towns, home to 80,000 people outside the reach of bans by cities and villages.

A county ban would extend public health protections to more people while reducing regulatory inconsistency that creates unfair conditions for businesses, workers and customers.

A county ban can also help persuade state lawmakers to pass the statewide smoking ban Wisconsin deserves.

Bans on smoking in indoor public places protect workers and customers from health risks posed by secondhand smoke, linked to heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmokers.

Furthermore, requiring smokers to step outside to light up has proved only a limited burden. Restaurants and bars often even accommodate smokers with comfortable outdoor seating areas.

Smoking bans are growing in popularity. Madison adopted a ban including bars and restaurants in 2005. Fitchburg banned smoking in bars and restaurants this spring. Monona will impose a similar ban next June.

Middleton and Shorewood Hills have more limited bans.

But the trend toward local bans has created a hodgepodge of islands that is bad for public health and unfair to businesses that must face competitors operating in different jurisdictions under different rules.

The Dane County Board should start to close the gaps by passing a smoking ban for towns that would be similar to Madison 's ban.

Critics argue that the county should leave smoking regulation to the towns ' local control. But the law recognizes local control for cities and villages. The same law allows the county jurisdiction over towns. The county should use that authority to create a smoking ban for towns.

A proposal introduced by Sup. Mark Opitz of Middleton offers a good place to start, though Opitz 's plan should be modified to include exemptions similar to the ones Madison provides. Those exemptions are sensible accommodations for cigar bars, tobacco retailers, private clubs and actors performing on theater stages.

A county ban extended to towns should help lead Wisconsin to an eventual statewide ban.

County leadership is required because the state Legislature has so far balked on a statewide smoking ban, despite Gov. Jim Doyle 's support for a ban.

As more cities, villages and counties adopt local regulation, lawmakers should get the message: To provide equal protection for all, Wisconsin needs a statewide smoking ban.