For the scores of patrons that walk through Echo Lanes each week, Mark Pregler gives them an option.

Normally, the manager of Austin's lone bowling center lets customers smoke. However, on certain days, he has no-smoking hours because of the influx of children.

"A good percentage of my customers smoke," Pregler said. "My private choice is to allow my customers to smoke. (But) kids are a big victim in this, because they can't tell their parents to put that out."

Which begs the question: Can you put a pricetag on your health?

Melodie and Kermit Watts, co-owners of Watts Cookin', said the talk about the Austin area facing a possible smoking ban has nothing to do with people's health.

"This is an issue of money and politics," Kermit Watts said.

Watts noted that his business would suffer if such a ban would come to the Austin area.

"We see it as a really trying issue of our business," Watts said. "Sixty percent of our customer base is outside of Austin," with the majority being truckers and other highway traffic that come off Interstate 90, he added. "They spend hours and hours in their vehicles. They'll come to have dinner, sleep, relax. Some spend 10 to 12 hours at a truck stop. A lot of that time will be spent in the restaurant, because they're alone all day.

"Fifteen miles down the road, there's a truck stop they can smoke in. Where they going to stop? You're just not going to come to Austin."

Watts said his restaurant has an air-makeup system that dumps fresh air in and cycles out "a huge amount of air. We're turning a large amount of air in the building each and every day.

"We are already doing a reasonable job to accomodate our non-smoking customers," he said.

But what if patrons still are smelling smoke?

"We will move the customers as far away from the smoking section," Watts said.

However, one local health official said a building's air filtration systems may not be enough.

Margene Gunderson, the director of community health service with the Mower County Public Health Department, said establishments that allow smoking are allowing a health hazard to exist.

"Restaurants with smoking sections have six times the pollution of a busy highway," she said. "People who work in restaurants where smoking is permitted are four times more likely to die from lung cancer and 2 1/2 times more likely to die from heart disease. Non-smokers who work in restaurants where smoking is allowed also have a 50 percent higher risk of lung cancer than the general population."

Gunderson said inhaling secondhand smoke is more of a health risk than people may believe.

"In two hours of sitting in a smoky bar -- not smoking yourself, just sitting there -- you are exposed to the same amount of toxins as if you had consumed four cigarettes. Two hours in the non-smoking section of a restaurant is the same as smoking 1 1/2 cigarettes, and 24 hours of living with a pack-a-day smoker is the same as consuming three cigarettes."

Still some believe the this controversial issue comes down to one principle: choice.

"I should be able to put a sign that says smoking is allowed," Pregler said. "If you don't want to come in, don't come in. I'm very frustrated. This is a private business that is open to the public. I pay the taxes. I pay the bill. I should decide what my customers can do."

When it comes to a finances, Pregler said there's no question that a local smoking ban would be detrimental to his business. He said his business would take a 25 percent hit if such a ban was in place and "it would be 50-50 that we would be open in two years."

Also, the men's state bowling tournament currently being held at Echo Lanes through May is generating $800,000 in the community.

And if there was a smoking ban?

"There would be no state tournament," Pregler said. "What would the economic impact have on everyone else?"

Sandy Forstner, the executive director with the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce, said many businesses would be affected.

"This is an issue that threatens to create an uneven playing field for our members," he said. "We view this as an issue of fairness and equity. That's the biggest problem we have with it.

"An outright smoking ban would tell those customers they aren't welcome here. Our concerns are based on economics. Our concern is businesses will suffer overall if a smoking ban is in place, particularly if it's a local smoking ban."

However, one local businessman said going smoke-free was the right choice.

Ron Meyer, co-owner of Piggy Blues Bar-B-Que in Austin, said the restaurant recently went to a non-smoking environment.

"We used to have smoking, but went to a completely non-smoking environment because we had to have a smoking barrier," Meyer said. "That made the dining area smaller and more claustrophobic. When we took it out, it made the place seem bigger and we were able to add a few more tables.

"It was something customers were asking us to do. Even with the barrier, when it got full, it was really smoky in here."

But Meyer, a smoker himself, said no business should be told by government what they can and can't do.

"That was our choice and that's the way this law should be," Meyer said. "It should be the choice of the businessperson to decide what he wants and what his customers want. If the city put this to a vote, I would vote 'no' even though I have a non-smoking restaurant.

"If they city says restaurant owners can't have smoking in their restaurants, what's the next step? No liquor in bars? The customers will tell the businessperson what they want."

However, Meyer acknowledged that business has picked up.

"It's been very positive for us," he said. "It was a very scary thing to do, but the outcome has been very good for us. There are a lot of people who are non-smokers and say they would like all the restaurants to be non smoking, but they are opposed to the ban."

Since Piggy Blues has gone smoke-free, "we've only lost two customers, but we've gained a ton. Families with kids come in more now and people have told us they're so glad there's no smoking in here."

But people like Watts said his truck stop won't benefit if such a ban is instituted.

"It's going to knock out enough of our business that these things could happen: A, business drops and we have to cut jobs. B, it could absolutely put us out of business and lock our doors," Watts said.

For Watts, he voiced his concern about possibly not being offered a choice whether to allow certain clientele in his establishment.

"Eleven restaurants in Austin are non-smoking," he said. "As businesspeople, we have made a business decision that we want to do. I've made the business decision to allow smoking."