Liverpool has voted for legislation that would ban smoking in public places in a move portrayed as a first step toward a possible smoking ban throughout Britain.
The Liverpool city council will now petition the British parliament to enact its bill into law that would outlaw smoking in bars, offices, restaurants and shops.
The move comes six months after Ireland adopted a strict nationwide smoking ban.
"It's an historic moment not just for Liverpool but also for the rest of the country," said Mr Mike Storey, the leader of the Liberal Democrat-run city council.
"We have said we want to be smoke free and we have taken the first step to make sure that becomes a reality," Mr Storey said. "I think this will make the government sit up and think about their anti-smoking legislation nationally."
But the so-called Prohibition of Smoking in Places of Work Bill must be passed by the House of Commons and House of Lords before any ban takes effect.
Councillors, who want the bill to be passed within a year, must petition parliament by November 27th if it is to be introduced in time for the next legislative session.
Liverpool has one of the worst cancer-related death rates in Britain, with more than 1,000 dying in the city each year from smoking-related diseases.
AFP