Although Manitoba's sweeping smoking ban won't take effect until Oct. 1, already some restaurant and bar owners are worried. They say they need their smoking customers or they will go out of business.

Earlier this week Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau introduced the Non-Smokers Health Protection Act in the legislature. The law would make Manitoba the first province to ban smoking in all public places and indoor workplaces under provincial jurisdiction.

There was already such a ban in Winnipeg, as well as 60 other Canadian cities. While three other provinces have laws prohibiting smoking in public places, there are exceptions made for ventilated smoking rooms in bars and restaurants.

The only exceptions to the law in Manitoba will be for places under federal jurisdiction, such as airports, military bases, federal prisons and native reserves.

The new law could cost billions in lost revenues, the hospitality industry predicts, if customers choose to stay home where they can smoke.

Robert Jenkinson, the owner of the Creekside Hideaway, about an hour southwest of Winnipeg, says about 85 per cent of his customers are smokers. Rural operations such as his will be affected more than restaurants and bars in the city, he says.

"I don't have the population base where I have thousands of people outside my door that would come in for non smoking," Jenkinson told CTV's Jill Macyshon. "Most of the people in rural Manitoba smoke."

Jenkinson says he's obeyed the laws so far, and has met current provincial standards for ventilation in his bar. But he now he says he's willing to pay a fine if it comes to that.

"I will definitely defy the ban," he said. "I think it should be up to the business to have a choice."

The recommendation for the smoking ban come from an all party committee that held public hearings last year. With no politicians opposed, bill could pass into law as early as next week.