Smokers across Michigan can breathe a sigh of relief.

Because the House extinguished the smoking ban bill, just six thumbs up short of passing.

"For me personally I'm very disappointed," Rep. Joan Bauer said, "but I am still very hopeful we will reach something that has a few exemptions and will get through this legislature."

The House originally passed the ban with exceptions for casinos and cigar bars, but when the Senate passed their version, they took those exemptions out and sent it back to the House.

And some say that's what killed the bill Tuesday.

"The smoking ban failed because it was overreaching," Rep. Craig DeRoche said. "It essentially banned smoking in all bars and smoking clubs. I think a lot of representatives pulled back from supporting that."

The owner of the Downtown Smoking Club tells us the only way he can survive is if the law had exemptions in it for smoking clubs, but bartenders said they're still hoping lawmakers will nix the ban altogether.

"We're one of the places that does have smoking, and people come here for that," Nate Watanabe said.

Watanabe is the manager of Brannigan Brothers downtown. He said smokers bring business, which is why they're thinking of adding cigars to their bar and restaurant.

"Because the economy is not the greatest and you need every activity necessary to make your sales," he said.

But bars are restaurants may have to do without that smoking support if the two houses find a compromise.

Just after the house voted the ban down, there was a motion to reconsider, which means they can come back to it, and most likely will after the election.