Should overweight people be banned too? What about heavy drinkers? Don't tell me that those behaviors don't impact the cost of health care.
Take extra breaks? People with IBS do too. So do coffee addicts. Often times longer than the 5 minutes a smoker takes. (I've timed myself)
Let's ask Barak Obama and John Boehner if they feel that they shouldn't have their jobs because they smoke.
Should Smokers Be Banned From Jobs?
SodaHead Living
2010/11/23 16:36:38
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It's bad enough being addicted to smoking. Now, in addition to worrying about their health, smokers may have a harder time finding a job.
The Massachusetts Hospital Association announced earlier this month that it would no longer hire people who smoke. Other employers -- including the Cleveland Clinic, a medical center based in Ohio; Alaska Airlines; and Union Pacific Railroad -- have also stopped hiring smokers, the Christian Science Monitor reports.
Proponents of the policy say it will provide smoke-free work environments. (Have you ever had to walk through the "smoking area" outside of an office building? It's pretty gross.) They also say it will help employers control health-care costs.
"Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. We want to drive the cost of health care down so that is more affordable," MHA chief executive Lynn Nicholas told the CSM.
The average smoker costs companies more than $12,000 a year in health- and disability-related costs and takes four 15-minute breaks a day, according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), an antismoking group in Washington. That's a lot of extra break time that the rest of us don't have.
But the American Civil Liberties Union says refusing to hire smokers is "lifestyle discrimination," adding that "95 percent of companies banning smoking reported no financial savings, and the US Chamber of Commerce has found no connection between smoking and absenteeism."
Others say looking into whether or not people smoke is simply too intrusive.
"Even if this makes sense, how is this materially different from screening for other high-risk and high-cost behaviors?" Andrew Tarsy, executive director of the Progressive Business Leaders Network in Massachusetts, told the CSM.
Good point.
The Massachusetts Hospital Association announced earlier this month that it would no longer hire people who smoke. Other employers -- including the Cleveland Clinic, a medical center based in Ohio; Alaska Airlines; and Union Pacific Railroad -- have also stopped hiring smokers, the Christian Science Monitor reports.
Proponents of the policy say it will provide smoke-free work environments. (Have you ever had to walk through the "smoking area" outside of an office building? It's pretty gross.) They also say it will help employers control health-care costs.
"Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. We want to drive the cost of health care down so that is more affordable," MHA chief executive Lynn Nicholas told the CSM.
The average smoker costs companies more than $12,000 a year in health- and disability-related costs and takes four 15-minute breaks a day, according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), an antismoking group in Washington. That's a lot of extra break time that the rest of us don't have.
But the American Civil Liberties Union says refusing to hire smokers is "lifestyle discrimination," adding that "95 percent of companies banning smoking reported no financial savings, and the US Chamber of Commerce has found no connection between smoking and absenteeism."
Others say looking into whether or not people smoke is simply too intrusive.
"Even if this makes sense, how is this materially different from screening for other high-risk and high-cost behaviors?" Andrew Tarsy, executive director of the Progressive Business Leaders Network in Massachusetts, told the CSM.
Good point.
Read More: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/smokers-face...
Top Opinion
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fuzzy Ken "In G-d We Trust" 2010/11/23 17:14:06
i mean, the best person at astro physics could smoke.
but they will still get the job, because theyre the best at what they do.
its like saying "should deaf people be banned from getting hearing aids?"
:/ i know, i know, its not the same thing, and i agree, i just think that my mum smokes and shes amazing at her job.
nurses that smoke dont ger
My mother died of lung cancer when I was 23. My grandmother when I was 29. I still cannot quit. It is not because I do not want to or do not care, it is because I simply am not able to..truthfully..I wish I could.
I smoke outside. I stay away from people that do not smoke, when I do. If a smoking section is provided, I use it. I put my cigarettes out with my fingers. I put the butts in the trash. I might stink, so keep your distance. I don't want you that close to me anyway. I'm sorry to make you miserable, but your making me miserable right now. Why are you spending your time around smokers if you don't like the way you smell afterwards?
I agree, that if a business is to have a smoking area for smokers, it ought not be directly in front of the entrance of the building. Speak to the business owners about that, not me. But to think you have a right to prevent me from smoking is ridiculous and selfish.
NO I do not believe that the GOVernment should ban smoking in private businesses. I just wish smoke would go away!