Austin city council members recently decided not to take any action on trying to regulate smoking in restaurants and bars.

But what about Mower County's stance?

"Right now, it's not even an issue with us," said Mower County Coordinator Craig Oscarson.

However, that doesn't mean county commissioners couldn't tackle the issue in the future.

"It could, but it's not even been talked about," Oscarson said. "We haven't had a group come to us about this."

Which means the chapter on this controversial issue isn't quite yet finished.

Many comments from local residents have centered on whether smoking bans should be decided on a local, state or federal level.

Austin city councilwoman Mickey Jorgensen said deciding this issue locally isn't a wise choice.

"Many people feel that it shouldn't be something that should be decided by the local government," she said. "They say let the state dictate if the government needs to be involved at all."

Jorgensen said it's best if this issue was just left alone.

"In an ideal world, local eating establishments would decide for themselves that on Sunday, there will be no smoking and on Tuesday there will be no smoking, rather than any branch of government saying 'this is what you have to do,'" Jorgensen said. "That's been working very well.

"Rather than having the government stepping in, things should be left as they are. It won't make people happy, but no matter what we do as a community and as a council, we're not going to make everyone happy."

But is turning one's head on this issue the responsible choice?

Margene Gunderson, the community health service director with the Mower County Public Health Department, said it's an issue that can't afford to be ignored.

"For years, the surgeon general has said 'don't smoke, because it causes cancer and heart disease,'" Gunderson said. "Now, more studies have been done that link secondhand smoke with deaths.

"Secondhand smoke contains 4,000 chemicals, 200 of which are known to be poisonous and 43 of those poisonous chmicals are known to cause cancer. Secondhand smoke causes 50,000 to 60,000 deaths a year and, in adults, is the third cause of preventable deaths in the United States. Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death."

Sandy Forstner, the executive director of the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce, said he understands there may be health implications relating to secondhand smoke.

"But if that is true, then why aren't we discussing it on the federal and state level, where it belongs?" Forstner asked. "There may be very good reasons why tobacco should be prohibited. But the fact remains is that is it legal. A smoking ban eliminates choice."

Ron Meyer, co-owner of Piggy Blues Bar-B-Que in Austin, recently decided to eliminate smoking in his restaurant. He said listening to customers is the fairest way to decide whether or not to allow smoking in local eateries and bars.

"Our city leaders should not have to fool with this and the state should not have to fool with this," Meyer said. "The customers tell the businesspeople what they want and the businesspeople listen."

Mark Pregler, the general manager at Austin's Echo Lanes bowling center, agreed that giving residents the freedom to choose is likely the best option to a topic that everyone will not agree on.

"To me, this is not a health issue. It is a legal and personal choice issue," Pregler said. "Outlaw tobacco or leave it alone."