Smoking: The Next Step

[jon]

Canada has generally been ahead of the U.S. in reducing the amount of second hand smoke that non-smokers encounter in public places and the workplace. But now some U.S. companies are refusing to hire smokers.

This article talks about three Michigan hospitals that take it to the next logical step and do drug testing for nicotine during the hiring process:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20110314 ... -hospitals

Admittedly, I worked for a company back in 1985 that would not hire smokers in one area of their Calgary head office. On a manager's whim. That was back in the day where smoking in an open office cubicle environment was still allowed, and he didn't like the idea. When asked to justify his decision, he said it shortened the life of the large number of expensive personal computers used in that department.

It is easy to forget how far things have come over the last 25 years. Just before I retired, I attended a computer security conference in Reno. For myself and another attendee I got to know, it was continuous sinus headaches from the cigarette smoke in every room of the hotel and attached conference centre. Even at night, though I had a non-smoking room, the smoke was carried by the ventilation system from the hallways and rooms nearby. During sessions, the company running the conference did not allow smoking, but the smoke from just outside the seminar rooms was blown in through the ventilation system. Being June, it was too hot to go outside in the day, so my only relief was getting up early and walking along the nearby river at 6 a.m. For some reason, I didn't see any smokers among the early rising joggers.