Starting Thursday, you'll have to smoke outside in some Eastern Kentucky restaurants as a city smoking ban goes into effect.

On the first day of the Pikeville smoking ban, Pike County Health Department workers went to every restaurant posting no smoking signs.

"We are really excited," said Octavia Dales with the Pike County Health Department.

Health department workers fought six years for this moment.

Burger King Assistant Manager Donald Bennett says he's happy to enforce the ban.

"I think it's great for the community. I'm a smoker by personal choice, but I think it's great because its clean-air environment and I have children," Bennett said.

"This is not to say you can't smoke, really we're celebrating smoke free dining," Dales said.

Smokers we talked to say they aren't upset.

"It's a little hard going outside. Just because we smoke, everybody else don't have to smell it and feel the effects of it," said Johnathan Galloway.

Restaurant managers think the ban will actually drive more people to fill up the tables and increase business, because they think more people will now want to eat out. Health department workers say restaurant business increased as much as three percent in other cities after smoking bans went into effect. Smokers say Pikeville restaurants won't lose them either.

"You know we got to eat," Galloway said.

"I'm using this opportunity where I don't smoke in the restaurant anymore to quit smoking," Bennett said.

Health workers hope the ban causes more to do the same.

Some restaurants in neighboring Coal Run Village are also voluntarily going smoke free. Smoking is still allowed in Pikeville bars and restaurants that only allow people ages 21 and up inside.