Last week, Gov. Ed Rendell signed a much anticipated public smoking ban, the Clean Indoor Air Act, which limits where smokers can light up.

Most businessowners are still trying to grasp where exactly smoking will be banned when the law goes into effect in September, and how the ban will affect them, their employees and customers.

The act states "no person shall carry a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or other lighted smoking device in any of the following locations:

• All public places, educational facilities, health facilities, arenas, theaters or museums.

• That includes bingo halls, restrooms, convention halls, public transit, licensed gaming facilities, and "75 percent of the total number of sleeping quarters available for rent in single lodging establishments."

Exemptions, however, include:

• Private homes, when they are not being used for child care, adult care or a health care facility

• Wholesale or retail tobacco shops with tobacco sales comprising 85 percent or more of gross sales annually

• Any drinking establishment that does 20 percent or less of its business in food sales.

Restaurants and barsAt least one restaurant in Butler County knows what to expect with the new statewide smoking ban.Primanti Brothers in Cranberry Township has several other locations throughout Allegheny County, which enacted and then had repealed a smoking ban last year.Candi Majors, general manager of the Cranberry location on Executive Drive, expects few changes."None of our other stores slowed down when they tried (a smoking ban) in Allegheny County," Majors said. "Other states have worked through it and we will too."Majors said she isn't worried business at the restaurant will suffer any dramatic fluctuations."Hopefully, it's the environment that brings customers in and not the ability to smoke," she said."Ray Collins' wife owns Sports & Spirits in Evans City. He expects patronage will take a "significant hit" because of the ban."Our business will definitely drop off," he said. "I think eight out of 10 of our customers smoke, so it certainly will have a negative effect."Collins, a nonsmoker, said he disagrees with the numerous exemptions in the bill that allow smoking in private clubs and casinos. He's also wary of the state government's decision to enact public laws in private establishments."I think people that own the places should be making their own decisions," he said.Jon Barnes, a manager at the Harmony Inn, doesn't support the bill even though he doesn't think business will decrease.He talked recently to a chain-smoking customer about the potential ban and asked what she would do if it was enacted.She joked that she'd have to bring knitting supplies with her to the bar.Barnes agreed with Collins that a smoking ban is a choice that should be made by business owners."The business should have the right to choose, and I'm not real crazy about the state mandating how you run your business," Barnes said. "I'm not big on smoking to begin with either but I don't think it's a very fair bill."Valerie McAfee, a manager at SIBa Cucina in Seven Fields, said her employer is one of the few that allowed cigar smoking. She said those who enjoyed a cigar in the bar area will likely be inconvenienced.McAfee feels her clients will continue to patronize the upscale restaurant and bar."The liquor tax didn't slow them down, so I don't think a smoking ban is going to," McAfee said.Bobbie Porreca, a bartender at Fisher's in Zelienople, said she fears for the survival of the bar and restaurant."I think it's going to kill our business," said Porreca. "We have a lot of smokers who come in and it will be very inconvenient for our clients."Porreca said 40 percent of Fisher's business is serving food.Carrie Robb, who co-owns Striker's on Route 19 in Jackson Township, disagrees with the ban and all the other restrictions placed on the libations industry by legislators."We already have the DUI laws and the economy," Robb said. "This is just one more thing to kill a bar."Eagle staff writers Paula Grubbs, Jared Stonehiser, Kelly Garrett and Stephanie Rex contributed to this report.