A Stoughton woman is pushing her city to ban indoor smoking. But not because she's afraid of getting lung cancer, because she already battled the disease. Gayle Zinda says many people may think as long as they limit the amount of cigarettes they smoke they are in the clear from getting lung cancer. But for her it wasn't that easy.

"We always thought that if you quit smoking, my perception was, that your lungs regenerate after 5 or 7 or 10 years, you know and then you're all good," says Zinda.

Like many people, she was a social smoker in her early 20's, quitting before facing any serious health risks.

But almost 25 years after kicking the habit, doctors gave her a surprising diagnosis. "I never in a million years believed at the age, literally on my 50th birthday I find out I have lung cancer."

The cancer was detected early enough in Gayle's case, but for many the disease is fatal, taking the lives of Peter Jennings and Dana Reeve.

Gayle is now using her story as a reason to push for a statewide smoking ban in her city of Stoughton and the state of Wisconsin as a whole.

"There's so much research out there now that proves that the second hand stuff is no good that I felt that I just had to ask them. I just had to go before the Council."

And with the help of her son Adam, she's published a book called Pink Lemonade, and even embarked on a nationwide tour. She has taken her fight against lung cancer and hopes for a smoking ban nationwide.

"If people just knew what they were doing and quit being so stubborn," says Gayle's son Adam.

"I'm willing to do anything I can to help people not have people feel the way that I felt when I found out my mom had lung cancer at age 50." Gayle's hope is to prevent this disease from taking anymore lives.

But despite being a non-smoker, she finds the threat of second hand smoke is still there.

"I hope it doesn't take people forever to realize that this is something we've been talking about for many many years and it's time to quit talking and act on it."

For more on Gayle's story you can visit her website at www.lemonmotivators.com

The city of Stoughton approved her idea for a statewide smoking ban Tuesday night in a 6 to 2 vote. That statewide ban has been introduced into the legislature, but it is unlikely to see any debate until the state budget is finished.