No Smoking on the Job

In recent times, nationally there seems to be a growing trend opposing smoking. For many years, smoking in public buildings has been banned. They took it further by laying down laws to separate the puffers in restaurants. In Nebraska here, one can't even light up while having a round of beers with his buds at the local watering hole. I understand public buildings where in some instances one can't avoid the smoke if say meetings or sporting events are being held there. But bars? To me, this imposes on not only a smokers right to a bit of smoldering enjoyment, but also tells the bar owner how they must run their establishment.

The slippery slope gets steeper now though, because employers are beginning to join the puffing-opposers. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Memorial Hospital will begin screening applicants for traces of tobacco use. Those positive will not be hired, but those already working will not be affected. Where does it stop? Can fully qualified obese people be filtered from the hiring process? In the future can we see the nit-picking become more refined?

Understandably, they say smokers cause employers more with health care cost annually as compared to none smokers. Are you telling me that a nationally renowned heart surgeon will be denied a position because of his off the job habit? I play video games that could cause future hand functioning problems, would I be denied if I was a leading neurologist? I don't play video games at work, nor do they smoke at work, but the job will be passed over regardless. We need to take a step back here, and not look at where we're at, but where we're going with these "health-conscious rules" that are being force fed to us.