LAST EDITED ON 08-29-05 AT 03:45 PM (EST)

Placido Domingo chain smokes when he plays poker.

Plenty of singers smoke. No, it's not good for you. Yes, your breath capacity is better when you don't smoke. Yes, smoking dries your throat which can decrease your endurance and make you more susceptible to colds.

I am a classically trained singer with a long resume of professional musical theater credits. I also have a couple of operettas on the list (principal roles, professional). I also competed in the Met Auditions when I was younger. OK, I didn't win anything, but I was invited to sing for the master class -- and just preparing to compete is a huge accomplishment for a musical theater person (if I may pat myself on the back).

I smoke.

Several years ago, when I was in a long-running show, I quit smoking for about 6-7 weeks. Within 2 weeks of quitting, I noticed an improvement in my voice - and my castmates noticed as well. Unfortunately, I fell off the wagon, and I have not quit since.

Should I quit? Absolutely.
Has my smoking ever prevented me from getting a job? Nope.
Why? Because smoker or not, I am a kick-arse singer.

These contestants are not being asked to sing Wagner. They're not being asked to sing 8 shows a week. Their smoking isn't going to affect anything -- it's crappy technique that can shorten a career.

Those "husky-voiced" smokers you hear (Suzanne Pleshette anyone?) are typically not singers - or if they are, they're not very good ones. You're more likely to develop a whiskey voice by singing with really horrible technique than by smoking.

(edited because I can't spell)