The ashtrays at two private clubs in Oak Bluffs - the Portuguese-American Club and the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall - came off the bar counters and table tops this week and were moved to the front porch.

The last bastions for smokers who liked to light up while hoisting a beer with friends are now smoke-free zones. The Oak Bluffs board of health voted unanimously Tuesday to ban smoking in the two private clubs.

"If you're going to ban smoking, it should be done across the board," said board of health member Linda Marinelli shortly before the vote.

Massachusetts bans smoking in all public places, including bars and restaurants, but allows a special exemption for private clubs.

The move comes two years after voters approved a smoking ban in all bars in town, but also decided to exempt the private clubs in a 105-65 decision.

This week's action by the board of health was prompted by complaints from some P.A. Club members who were upset about the tobacco policy and turned to the board to ban smoking inside the club.

Twenty people attended Tuesday's public hearing, offering board of health members a healthy debate on the pros and cons of the smoking ban.

P.A. Club member Rick Lambos said the smoke inside the P.A. Club isn't safe for patrons or employees.

"For those of us who joined many years ago, it wasn't as big a deal," he said. "But now there are more than 800 or 900 members."

Carl van Rooyen, P.A. Club manager, argued that the club membership had voted unanimously back in March to allow smoking to continue. He was unsure exactly how many members attended that meeting but estimated it was more than 100 people.

The commander at the VFW post on Towanticut avenue tried a similar line of argument, telling the health board that his members knew there was smoking inside the club when they joined.

"Our three most senior bartenders all smoke. We hired two new part-time bartenders. They knew we allowed smoking and still wanted to work for us," said Peter Herrmann, commander of the Post 9261.

Tim Corner said he used to go downtown for a drink and a smoke but changed his habits when the smoking ban went into effect in the bars.

"I joined the P.A. Club because it is the last place I can have a drink and a smoke," he said.

Bar owners tried to make board of health members see the economic picture, not just the public health perspective.

"My business has declined because people who couldn't smoke joined clubs where they could," said Janet King-Stead, owner of The Ritz Cafe.

She lobbied for fairness across the board. "Consider letting us go back to smoking so we can have our business back," she added.

Michael Santoro, owner and manager of three bars and restaurants in Oak Bluffs, urged an end to smoking in the two private clubs.

"I supported nonsmoking laws at the time [two years ago] because I thought it was going to be across the board," he said.

The historical perspective came from Joe Nunes, one of the oldest members of the P.A. Club. "I've been a member since 1930 and everybody smoked and never had trouble at all," he said. "Now you tell people not to smoke and our business will go to hell."

Cheryl Sbarra, the senior staff attorney for the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards, said private clubs across the state are coming under pressure to ban smoking.

"It's happening in Quincy, Chicopee and Weymouth," she told board members.

Private clubs, she said, became even more of a haven for smokers in the aftermath of the statewide smoking ban that went into effect in early July. She charged that some clubs loosened their membership restrictions as a way to lure smokers who were banished from bars.

That trend invited a crackdown from state liquor control officials who cited one VFW post when it advertised a chicken dinner open to the public.

Ms. Sbarra said state regulations spell out criteria, defining the difference between a private club and a public bar.

"They look at the extent to which membership exceeds 200 people and whether it's utilized by nonmembers," she said.

Both the P.A. Club and VFW have tightened access to the clubs after selectmen complained about how easy it was for any member of the public to enter. Both clubs now require membership cards to enter.

But there's a liberal policy about inviting nonmember guests. Mr. Herrmann said membership at the Oak Bluffs post is open to combat veterans, veterans of military service and to guests.

But he would only disclose the combat veteran membership level, saying it was around 150 people.

Over at the P.A. Club, membership rolls have swelled in the last 10 years over the 800 mark.

On Wednesday night, smokers at both clubs were already banished to seats on the porch railing or at picnic tables. They were a little grumpy.

"It should have been the club members' decision," said Sheila Woods, one of a half-dozen smokers standing outside at the VFW.

"A veteran of a foreign war has risked his life, and he has nowhere on the Vineyard to go to have a drink and a smoke," said another smoker, a 49-year-old house painter from Vineyard Haven.

Mr. van Rooyen was taking a smoke break out on the P.A. Club porch Wednesday day with some of his patrons.

"It's already affected our business," he said. "Six people walked out immediately and said, ‘That's why we were coming here.' "