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Do You Smoke? You Might Have Trouble Finding A Job

August 28, 2005

By Mark Miller

PIERCE COUNTY - When you step onto the campus at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, you'll see a lot of metal boxes where people can safely dispose of a cigarette. The boxes have signs on them that read: "This is a smoke-free facility. Thank you for not smoking."

That's because the hospital is moving closer toward a completely smoke-free environment.

St. Joseph is part of a growing trend by employers who either prefer to hire non-smokers, or they refuse to hire smokers at all.

Studies show people who smoke wind up costing all of us more in medical and health care expenses.

So, the Franciscan Health Care System is going to really start clamping down next year on its policy prohibiting smoking at any of its facilities. Right now the organization already prefers to hire non-smokers.

Some companies, including Alaska Airlines, Avista Corp., and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, refuse to hire smokers at all.

Some people think this is a little bit too discriminatory.

"I think it's wrong that you would hire somebody over somebody else, I think qualifications should apply and not what you decide to do with your own body," said Adrianna Tate, a smoker.

It is legal for employers in Washington State to choose only to hire non-smokers, that's because our state does not have a Lifestyle Discrimination Law.

If you don't smoke on the job... soiling the pink lungs of non-smokers, they shouldn't care.
They shouldn't be allowed to tell you what you can or can't do on unpaid breaks or in your own home.

Do they ask other questions in the interview, like, "Do you intend on getting pregnant, because then you can go on maternity leave and cost us a lot of money...."  "Do you drink, because they've done clinical studies that say people who are casual or excessive drinkers are less productive...."  "Do you have school age kids?  Because parents are more likely to miss work because of their children's health issues...."

If an employer uses any of these questions, the applicant can sue, FOR BUNDLES OF MONEY.

It seems like the smoking thing is comprable.


by the by, I'm a non-smoker

Quoted: If you don't smoke on the job... soiling the pink lungs of non-smokers, they shouldn't care. They shouldn't be allowed to tell you what you can or can't do on unpaid breaks or in your own home. Do they ask other questions in the interview, like, "Do you intend on getting pregnant, because then you can go on maternity leave and cost us a lot of money...."  "Do you drink, because they've done clinical studies that say people who are casual or excessive drinkers are less productive...."  "Do you have school age kids?  Because parents are more likely to miss work because of their children's health issues...." If an employer uses any of these questions, the applicant can sue, FOR BUNDLES OF MONEY. It seems like the smoking thing is comprable.

+1 If it isn't that way, it should be.

People don't realize that the gun grabbers are just tobacco nazis with a different agenda. The park along the Snohomish below my house has a sign that says, "For the children. This is a non-smoking park."

WTF! Man, my mother-in-law would be killing people by now if she were still alive. I never remember her without a cig. Its pathetic what they've done to smokers. And before you ask I occasionally smoke a cigar but consider myself a non-smoker.

I'm a nonsmoker, so #@$% smokers. Just kidding! I am always humored during discussions on smoking by a memory of a cartoon or sign I once read:

Thank you for not breathing while I smoke.

I don't have a problem with it as long as people don't smoke around me.  What is shitty at my work is the fact that smokers congregate outside for about 20 minutes on every hour (at least).

When some asshole asks me about my smoking, I just rudely reply:
"Well, it keeps me from beating off in public..."
End of conversation.

It seems the new norm for getting some jobs these days are pre-employment physicals in which your new or soon to be employer gets to see your medical records. This is totally F'd up in my opinion. Do people think they won't use this info against us?? Sorry our insurance won't cover that because its a pre-existing condition.

At the company I work for, we get a break on our health insurance premiums if we don't smoke.  Another discount is offered if you meet the criteria for "an active lifestyle."

They had better becareful.  Banning cigarette smoking is bad for children!

After all aren't our public schools dependent upon the money collected from these sin taxes?

Patty

*ETA* BusMaster007

I was listening to KVI on the way home a couple/three weeks ago and heard Lt. Brian Suits (sp.?) talking about how HIS taxes pay MY wages because I work for King County/Metro, in regard to how our insurance plans are changing to the 'incentive' style.

His point was: because he pays my wages, I should 'live' a certain way.

MY POINT WAS: because he pays my wages, I should have some reassurance HE IS HEALTHY enough to keep doing so!

Who's watching the Watchers?

BTW, I NEVER  --- never mind...