For the last year in Toledo, smoking in bars, bowling alleys, and restaurants came to an abrupt halt when a smoking ban was passed.

However, this past November it was again on the ballot, and this time Issue 4 was amended. This allowed Toledoans the right once again to smoke in their favorite bars and restaurants.

It seems that many are either for smoking in bars or restaurants or against it, with little to no in-between. The main debate why the ban was enacted in the first place is because, if you haven’t heard, second hand smoke kills.

Being a smoker myself, I can understand this to a degree and can’t be completely ignorant to the fact that smoking does hurt one’s health, whether it being first or second hand smoke.

However, there is one problem I do see that many non-smokers fail to address or even realize when it comes to second hand smoke.

Second hand smoke increases your chances of getting cancer or other ailments in the same way that eating a Big-Mac may increase the chances of clogging your arteries, but that in no way stops people from still eating them.

First or second-hand smoke in no way will 100 percent of the time give you cancer or affect your health significantly. In fact, many people live to ninety-years-old still smoking a pack a day and in better health than some others that do not smoke.

There are other things that determine one’s health, like this little thing called genetics. Some may be more prone to certain diseases and ailments because of their genes and not because of some smoke in the air.

I can sympathize with non-smokers on one area, and that is smoking in restaurants. No one likes smoke in their face when their eating, smoking or non.

Though what bothers me is people saying us smokers should not even be allowed to smoke in bars.

When it came time to vote this election Toledoans made their voice clear. Only about 30 percent of Toledoans actually smoke, but over 50 percent of the people who voted were for Issue 4, which amended the smoking ban.

How could this be if only 30 percent of the people smoke, but over 50 percent voted to amend the bill?

Though there is no clear answer, I do have an idea why.

Perhaps it’s because enough people were open minded enough to realize that it is ridiculous to prevent people from smoking. Smokers have rights just like anyone else, and should be treated like so.

Bars on the other hand are unlike restaurants, in that they are not a family place, and everyone there is of age to make there own decisions.

Bars are a place where people go after a long day of classes or work to have a few drinks and a smoke if they want, to get away from the harsh realities of the real world. They are havens for people to escape the constant grind of the boss breathing down their necks, and constant rules and regulations they must follow in every day life.

By taking away the right to smoke in bars you are taking away these peoples rights to escape for a little while and not worry about rules and regulations.

By taking this away from them it only gives them one more rule they have to follow, preventing them from relaxing and worrying about what lies ahead of them.

If people are that worried about having their health affected while going to a bar to have a drink and breath in a little smoke maybe they shouldn’t be there at all, because that beer they are drinking, that’s not exactly healthy for them either.

E-mail Steve with comments at [email protected].