Smokers Need Not Apply

I was just reading an article in the USA Today (link attached at bottom) regarding the increasing number of employers who are imposing smoking bans on their employees. The smoking ban goes for current workers as well as potential new hires. And  this ban doesn't only apply to the workplace. It's applies to your private life as well.

First off, let me just say that I don't, and never have, smoked cigarettes. Personally, I can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke. Yes, I smoke an occasional cigar. Maybe that makes me a bit of a hypocrite, I don't know. Honestly, the cigar smoking is more of a social thing for me. I guess you might describe it as a "conversation enhancer". However, if you told me that I could never burn another one, I would actually be fine with it. So, I don't really have a personal dog in the fight when it comes to these smoking bans. So, lets try to examine it from all angles.

I believe that these bans are creating a dangerous precedent. Next year, can we expect to see bans on people who are overweight. Hell, that would probably affect more than half of the American workforce. Maybe there will be a crackdown on people who consume daily doses of caffeine. No more Red Bull for that afternoon pick-me-up!

And what about alcohol? Will employees eventually be prohibited from having an overpriced draft beer at the weekend ballgame?

Hey, I understand why employers would prefer that their workers not smoke. Smokers tend to have more medical issues than non-smokers for one. This, of course, translates into more sick days. And according to the USA Today article, smokers rack up roughly $3500 more in medical costs than non-smokers. I would think that this would drive up the overall insurance premium for the employer.

I'm just wondering if lost productivity in general has anything to do with it. Let's face it, we've all seen smokers huddled up outside of office buildings. If they take 3-4 smoke breaks a day, you're probably talking about more than an hour of lost productivity each each. Multiply that over the course of a whole year and see how it all adds up. I'd be willing to bet that this plays into the equation.

By the way, I find it a bit ironic that we used to go outside to get some fresh air. Nowadays, it's not uncommon to open up the door and walk right into an ambush of second hand smoke.

I guess the good news is that less people are smoking with each new generation. According to statistics, roughly 19% of adults in the US smoke cigarettes today. In 1965, the number was 42%. I'm guessing that the decreasing number is due to things like public awareness, increasing costs and health concerns. But I really believe that some people give up smoking (or never start) because it's just become too much of a hassle. Is it really worth freezing your ass off outside just for a few hits of nicotine?

About fifteen years ago, a buddy was telling me how he got pulled over on the parking lot of a local defense contractor. He said that he received some type of citation for smoking a cigarette on the company's property. It made no difference that he was in his car. We thought it was a bit Orwellian even back then. What a company chooses to enforce on their own property is up to them. But when we start dictating what people do  in their personal lives, I think we're walking a slippery slope.......

kw

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/story/2012-01-03/health-care-jobs-no-smoking/52394782/1