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RALEIGH (AP) — The scope of a statewide smoking ban was narrowed Wednesday to include only restaurants and bars, the result of political realities in the Senate that left neither health advocates nor tobacco boosters pleased.

The altered bill was recommended by a wide margin in the Senate Health Care Committee, where just a week ago a more restrictive bill was approved by a clearly divided panel. But the bill was sent back to the committee after Senate Democrats said there weren't enough votes to pass a measure that would have extended to all work sites as well.

"There have been changes to the bill, and I hope some of you now will be able to support this committee substitute," Sen. Bill Purcell, D-Scotland, the committee's co-chairman and chief supporter of the smoking ban bill in the Senate. The bill could come to the floor as early as Thursday.

Purcell said the measure will still "help protect the health of citizens of North Carolina and help reduce the cost of health care in North Carolina."

Health advocates have been pushing for at least four years to get a wide-ranging smoking ban through the legislature in a state that is the nation's leading tobacco producer. But other states rich in heritage with the golden leaf — most recently Virginia in March — have snuffed out smoking in restaurant and bars.

Under the measure approved by a vote of 17-4 in the committee, smoking in all restaurants and bars would be prohibited, with exemptions for cigar bars, country clubs and similar private clubs. Covered patio areas with two or fewer walls also would be exempt.

Senators worried about the wide swath of public places that would bar smoking were more comfortable with Wednesday's measure.

"This has been a very difficult bill for me until today," said Sen. Harris Blake, R-Moore.

But interest groups on both sides of the issue weren't happy with the compromise. Anti-smoking groups said later Wednesday that the weaker measure would force many blue-collar workers to keep working in secondhand smoke.

A 2006 U.S. Surgeon General's report determined no level of secondhand smoke is safe. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina estimated North Carolina's health care related expenses to secondhand smoke at $289 million in 2006.

"Unfortunately, the same protections afforded to white collar workers, senators, and all state employees will not translate to many of the everyday workers around our state," said Betsy Vetter, a lobbyist for the American Heart Association. The legislature has banned smoking inside the Legislative Building, state government buildings and prisons.

Some cigarette companies, farming and property-rights groups remain opposed to the new bill.

"It doesn't give any options to those owners of restaurants and bars that want to accommodate their customers," said Michael Shannon, a lobbyist for Greensboro-based Lorillard Tobacco Co. He also said the bill would give local governments more authority to pass anti-smoking ordinances in public places beyond what state law requires.

If the bill is approved on the Senate floor, the House would then have to decide whether to accept the Senate's changes.

The House version of the bill approved last month had a provision that would have permitted smoking where children under age 18 don't work or can't patronize, such as bars.