Illinois is proposing stricter smoking rules.

The Department of Health wants to tighten the current law by putting a ban on smoking in beer gardens and outdoor eateries.

The proposal has not been approved, but has already drawn the ire of restaurant and bar owners who invested thousands of dollars in outdoor facilities for smokers.

The health department says tighter regulations are needed to keep employees of those businesses from being affected by second-hand smoke.

A 45-day public comment period on the new regulations ends September 29. Comments are being accepted at the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website or by contacting its division of legal services in Springfield.

Illinois banned smoking within 15 feet of restaurants and other public facilities in 2008. Next July, a law banning indoor and outdoor smoking at public colleges and universities in Illinois takes effect.