The Macon City Council has voted to tighten the rules on smoking.

The council voted 9-6 for the new rules Tuesday night.

The ordinance eliminates smoking in bars and nightclubs, most hotel rooms, health care facilities, and almost every other indoor location except private houses.

It doesn't ban smoking in vehicles or on streets and sidewalks, though it does prohibit smoking close to the entrances of streetside businesses.

Representatives of the American Heart Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention argued in favor of the measure as a boost to public health.

Council member Mike Cranford argued against the new rules, saying they made criminals of law-abiding citizens.

Tags: Macon, smoking