Even though Ryan McGarry and his group did not succeed in getting a local bar to go smoke-free tonight, he isn't giving up.

McGarry is vice president of Colleges Against Cancer, part of the American Cancer Society club at Penn State.

He and six other students are working to get a bar downtown to go smoke-free for one night to make students aware of the damages of smoking.

The group also wants to prove to bar owners that going smoke-free can make a profit.

McGarry said he wanted a downtown bar to participate to coincide with today's Great American Smokeout.

"Whatever we do, we don't want to make the wrong move," he said.

"We'll just have to bypass [today] and keep going."

Health risks of secondhand smoke can include sore throat or infection as early as the day after going to a bar, he said.

"There is a definite correlation between minimal secondhand smoke and heart attacks," McGarry said.

McGarry is also passionate about cancer awareness and smoking.

He is a cancer survivor.

McGarry was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in August 2000 and lost a year of school to treatment.

His case was special, he said, because the affected area was in his bone and not his lymph nodes.

He has been in remission for three years and continues to go for a check-up every three months.

"Sometimes I feel like the oldest 22-year-old at school," he said.

McGarry said that after having an experience like that, he thinks he values health more than his peers, which is why he is working so passionately on issues like smoking.

"How can a bar owner present you with safe food and clean restrooms, but not clean air?" he said.

Bars and restaurants in New York City have already gone smoke-free.

While many local bar owners and managers would like to see a statewide ban on smoking, they acknowledge that until it is mandated by the state, it would be unwise economically to go smoke-free.

"I'd love to go smoke-free six days a week, but in this market it's just not feasible," said Mike Caruso, manager and owner of The Darkhorse Tavern, 220 College Ave.

David Staab, general manager of Zeno's, 100 W. College Ave., agreed.

"I'm not willing to go smoke-free till it's mandated. It won't work until it's mandated across the board," he said.

Staab said that just one smoke-free night could confuse people and anger regulars who are smokers.

Michael Desmond, owner of Zeno's, said he was excited to hear about the students' ideas.

"I'm happy to talk with organizers to create a pro-active event," he said.

But some bar owners are more hesitant than others.

"I'm more of a tavern-style establishment. I'm not for having a smoke-free environment," said Hal McCullough, owner of Café 210 West, 210 W. College Ave.

Some students would like to see the bars go smoke-free.

"All your clothes reek of smoke and everything has to be washed 10 times," Jen Sirolli (senior-communications) said.

But some students expressed doubt about how successful a smoke-free bar would be.

"I don't think they'll make a profit if they did it for one night," Miranda Corl (senior-public relations) said.

Casey Christensen (junior-finance) isn't sure he would go if a bar went smoke-free for a night.

"If there was an incentive to go, I would, but I wouldn't just go to support the smoke-out," he said.

Susan Tisdale (senior-civil engineering) is a smoker and would rather bars not go smoke-free.

"Smoking in bars doesn't bother me, but I understand how people don't like it," she said.

"I would prefer bars didn't go smoke-free, but I wouldn't stop going."