But he's not yet willing to take on that battle - airlines and airport administrators favor keeping the status quo - to get his way during the 2005 Legislature.

Such a debate, he fears, would detract from lawmakers' consideration of one of his pet projects - a stub-out of smoking at private clubs. And he also wants them to ban smoking in gatherings of 50 or more people.

"I don't want to slow down the bill as we've been discussing it," Anderson said Tuesday at a City Council meeting - a position he acknowledges may appear unfair to the tavern crowd.

"It's a little tough for us to be telling bar and pub owners to ban secondhand smoke, but we're not going to do it at our airport," Anderson said.

He said the city, however, could prohibit smoking in new terminals, which won't be built for several more years.

There are three potential smoking bills for the legislative session, which starts Jan. 17. One would ban smoking in private clubs and taverns. Another would allow local officials to impose such a ban and another would prohibit smoking in "fine-dining" joints.

The bans are mainly based on protecting club employees from secondhand smoke.

The two bills that already have been posted on the Legislature's Web site wouldn't prohibit smoking in airport terminals.

Airport Director Tim Campbell said Wednesday that while he supports the mayor's goal of eliminating smoking in public areas, the airport needs to continue to house smoking lounges.

Tobacco-addicted passengers will want to light up once they touch down, and airport officials don't want to deal with clandestine smoking in the terminals, he said.

"We really see this as a public service in a way, and customer service," Campbell said, noting that he might agree with banning smoking in new terminals.

The federal Centers for Disease Control recently released a study showing airport smoking lounges like Salt Lake City's put passengers and employees at increased risk for cancer and heart disease.

Campbell, noting that he plans to add smoking-cessation materials in the lounges, said officials check the ventilation daily to ensure the smoke doesn't waft into the rest of the airport.

Anderson said traveling smokers present a bad example for passers-by, but he acknowledged the problems of forcing smokers to leave the terminal and stand outside to puff - exposing incoming passengers to the smoke.

City Councilman Dave Buhler, a nonsmoker who says he is allergic to cigarette smoke, said he isn't bothered by the smoking lounges when he travels.

"When you've got people coming in from all over the country . . . it's not very hospitable to say, 'Well you've got to go outside.' "

hmay@sltrib.com

Smoking bills online

Pre-filed anti-smoking bills that can be viewed on the Legislature's Web site, http://www.le.state.ut.us

Senate Bill 77

House Bill 166