Santa Rosa Sheriff's Department Outlaws...Tobacco?

[Webby]

Snuff 'em out, Santa Rosa sheriff tells employees | pnj.com | Pensacola News Journal

I can understand forbidding smoking - but nicotine testing employees?

I would imagine the Pensacola head shops are selling out of charcoal tabs and golden seal root by noon...

Doughnuts and Scotch will remain on the cafeteria menu of course.

[CJsKee]

How in the hell can people just keep stomping on others freedoms!!! Smoking on the job may be one thing, but to forbid tobacco use on personal time is another. And smokers just keep rolling over. It's absurd how deeply imbedded the anti forces are.

I see Sherid is reading this...I'll be interested to see what she has to say.

Kind of an off note...I used to live in a small town and there was a restaurant named "Taylor's". Police cars could be seen there just about any time day or night. We called the force the SWAT team..."Sorry, We're at Taylor's"...

[martha1014]

Do they also stuff out alcohol, caffeine and any other vice. Nicotine is not a controlled substance therefore if you want to smoke on your own time they could not stop you. Of course if they provide Health Insurance they could require that you pay more for smoking. This should not be just nicotine but actual smoking since nicotine is more related to caffiene. I would argue this point.

[SLDS181]

They aren't the first to do this. There have been a few nurses fired from hospitals, among other types of businesses.

A number of states have "protected" employees from this. Not an approach I agree with, there are better ways to do it.

American Lung Association for reference information on the specific laws by state.

[DaMulta]

Deputy Larry Owens, an 18-year deputy and a smoker, supports the new policy.

"I agree with it 100 percent. It's just a matter of professionalism," he said. "I think an officer needs to project a professional image to the public, and I think it will be good. It won't affect me like it will the new hires, but that's something they'll have to deal with themselves."

What a ****!

[RIMP]

Well ya know, smokers are the only group you can still discriminate against and the masses are fine with it Where does it end? What about not hiring alcoholics or blacks because of increased costs for hypertension and sickle cell, maybe in the future they'll use a DNA database to determine what health problems you MIGHT have in the future and discriminate using that It really just frosts my panties Next they'll have a sex manual incorporated into the employee handbook with approved positions


RIMP

[Dredbull]

Wow not only does their job suck a fat loaded diaper, but nic tested also?
Why spit in their food, just go drop some cola flavored nic juice in it.

"Here is your LITER of cola officer!"

Sounds to me they are trying to get rid of some special people that are just taking up space but cannot figure out how to without eating a huge lawsuit.

Next they'll have a sex manual incorporated into the employee handbook with approved positions


RIMP

Been there done that! The military is a bit weird! Oh and a few states where the sodomy laws are still in the 19th century.

[Wench]

This is only one story that made the paper. I'm in the next county over and there are a ton of jobs that you can't have if you fail the nic test.
Gulf Power turned my brother in law down for a job because he smokes and wouldn't pass.
The county also has a policy but not quite as severe as Santa Rosa ( they are some fruit cakes over there)
This whole area is some sort of special let me tell you : (

[Nestran]

Oh my god what a bunch of yahoos

Mary Ann Stalcup, the City of Pensacola's human resources director, said she could not find any records indicating that a police officer has ever been disciplined or fired for violating the policy.
She also said the city does not have nicotine tests performed to see if officers are violating the policy.

In Escambia County, deputies and civilian employees are required to remain tobacco-free for six months before they are hired.
Once they're hired, employees are not prohibited from smoking except in buildings and Sheriff's Office cars, spokeswoman Melissa Aiken said.

Police officers and deputies are required to pass a physical fitness test before they are hired but are not required to pass another test after they are hired.

Nestran

[Wench]

Oh my god what a bunch of yahoos
Nestran

Yep that about sum's it up.

I wish to god I could move but stuck with a house that we can't sell, can't insure... bleh

This is the same place where the woman put the little girl in the trash can ( about a mile from us where this happened ) and the police officer ran the man down that was on a bike and tasered him and he ran him over with the police car( that was downtown)

So the tobacco thing is not a big surprise. It's just ...special. lol