Smoking Ban at the workplace?

www.nytimes.com...

I can't believe this crap. I smoked for 7 years; and even though I dont smoke anymore, I still think this is un-constituional. I mean, I can understand about the ban while your at work, but when your not at work, the shouldn't be able to do sh**.

I even read thta they gave the workers Urine anaylisis to check for nicitone. They told them, if we see nicitone again, you fired.

Thats BS.

I dunno, what does everyone else think?

I also read that article and its ridiculus, Next thing you know they will be dictating our lives. I for one see all these bans on smoking as another form of discrimination. I can understand a ban in public establishments owned by local or federal government. But as a business owner its my right to decide if I will or will not allow smoking in my place of business what happens outside of my business of course is none of my concern.

Talk about lifestyle discrimination or what!

I saw this last week I think? I have been a smoker since I was 17, so thats about 15 years? Yes, my lungs are going to be nasty, but I chose to do it, no one else. I enjoy it, yes I am addicted, but I do actually enjoy it.

That being said; This isn't about smokers. It is about what is going to be next? No coffee, scratch that, no caffeine? No trans-fatty acids? No red meat? No one leaves their homes without permission? No sex, except for pro-creation?

My point is; If we as a society do not nip this in the bud, who knows what is next. Private corporation or not, as long as it is legal, stay out of my business. Seriously, do you think it will stop at smokers?

What I can watch, what I can do on MY time is My business. Like I said; If I am not breaking any laws, why are you in my face?

But as a business owner its my right to decide if I will or will not allow smoking in my place of business what happens outside of my business of course is none of my concern.

" we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone"

i reserve the right to deny you employment, because you smoke.
affirmitive action ?, never heard of it.

I think its ridiculous as well. Next they will be paying out more money for those who don't ever have a drink after work or on the weekend. Isn't it great that noone is allowed to do what they want off the job without having to be penalized for it?

If you are smoking cigarettes then you have a severe psychological disorder. You should thank your workplace for helping you with your dependency problem.

I'm not gunna pee on your campfire, but www.abovetopsecret.com... is about the same topic (it is a good one though )

My initial response is the company has gone way too far. I understand banning smoking (I used to smoke) at work as it can bother non smokers and is just inconsiderate. I think what the company is trying to establish is that nicotine is a drug. If a company tests for drugs (ie street drugs) and you test postive you may not get a job or get fired. If we stay with that pattern then nicotine and even caffine would be drugs.

Now mind you, I would fight to the finish for my diet coke but employers do face high health benefit costs. Since most employers that provide health benefits do so at quite a cost to them (you would pay much more if you had to get yourself) they feel they should have some say. I think firing the employees is not the right direction. If they were trying to make a point on health care, which I think they were, they should have discontinued their health benefits or made the employees pay in full to carry it. I can see that coming in the future where we as employees start to foot the whole bill. Keep in mind that the bill is still smaller in group plans than on our own but it can get costly.

Originally posted by rosiewashere
Now mind you, I would fight to the finish for my diet coke but employers do face high health benefit costs. Since most employers that provide health benefits do so at quite a cost to them (you would pay much more if you had to get yourself) they feel they should have some say. I think firing the employees is not the right direction. If they were trying to make a point on health care, which I think they were, they should have discontinued their health benefits or made the employees pay in full to carry it. I can see that coming in the future where we as employees start to foot the whole bill. Keep in mind that the bill is still smaller in group plans than on our own but it can get costly.

I understand your point with healthcare. I personally would pay all my healthcare because it is my body and I shall do as I please with it. What I have a problem with is if this continues it will not stop with smokers. Just wait until they tell you what you can and can not eat. "We are sorry but your BMI is to high, your fired!"

Whether you or I agree with it or not; discrimination is discrimination, period. And to me this is discrimination. What next? Everyone must have blonde hair and blue eyes? Okay, that was extreme, I shall stop now...

Boba

Ever read the short story "The Ten O' Clock People" by Stephen King? I believe it's in the collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes. It tells the tale of how cigarette smokers are able to start seeing these horrific beasts that disguise themselves as the everyday people we all know. They're ten o clock people because thats the smoke break time in front of the office building.

Originally posted by MostlyHarmless
I'm not gunna pee on your campfire, but www.abovetopsecret.com... is about the same topic (it is a good one though

)

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I apologize to PistolPete for taking his story. I used the boolean search, nothing. oh well.

-J

Here in Tassie smoking has been banned in Workplaces, Goverment buildings, Bars, Clubs, plus no-smoking in a car with infants, pretty much everywhere inside a building plus a no-smoking area of 7 meters around the doors to the buildings.
As a non-smoker I like this, it means I don't have to worry about second hand smoke affecting me. People do suffer from passive smoking and I have to be careful about smoke because I have a condition with my heart. Now I can freely go to bars/clubs and not come home smelling like a chimly.

Whats the attraction to a cigarette? I still do not understand why people smoke.

thats totally ludicrous!!!....ok....if youre a proffesional footballer then i can understand your manager getting pissed if your doing something that will hinder your performance but not a worker in an office or regular job......

nanny state,nanny state,nanny state.......i hate em all.....stop taking away peoples rights.....anarchy will follow!

hey, there was a news story this morning on the tv......warning us of the dangers of................ORANGE JUICE!!!!
there's too much sugar, it will make you fat!! Drink it, and I am gonna fire you!!!! Matter of fact...ummm....they've discovered that eating will make you fat....SO STOP EATING!!

I'm sorry, I think I lost control of myself....but well, wasn't orange juice susposedly good for you not that long ago?
Just another indication that the people who are looking out for you health don't really know much about what they are talking about. Look around your place of work one day, and well, consider just what else is in the atmosphere that isn't healthy for you......even computers give off pcb's. And well, machinists and plumbers sometimes bring home lead to poison their kids. Many come home from work with clothes smelling of different chemicals from their company. The tobacco is just a scapegoat for all of that. So you don't look any further to see the rest of the story. And, with all their griping and complaining, as far as I know, the tobacco growers are still be subsidized with our taxdollars. They don't want to actually see that scapegoat go away, and if it did, they would just pick another and play the game again.