Job Hiring Policies and Nicotine testing

[NICnurse]

I think it is a load of poop. I am lucky that the hospital I work at does not nicotine test as pre-employment screening. We are a no smoking/no vaping campus though. People are still allowed to go across the street to smoke on their breaks. Of course, I just go to the bathroom and vape!

There are 2 other large hospitals here in KC that do pre-screen for nicotine use. You can guess what 2 hospital systems I will never apply for a job at! I am lucky that the hospital I work for is one of the largest and I would have no reason to go to another hospital to move up the career ladder. Plenty of opportunity where I am currently at.

Don't even get me started on the obesity/healthy lifestyle topic. We have a rad tech that is so large, she has to sit down between chest xrays because she gets too winded going room to room. But she doesn't smoke/vape, so any hospital in town would hire her.......

 

[Uncle Willie]

Those that state nicotine is actually good for you are as bad as the places that want to implement the bans. The health risks of nicotine far outweigh any possible good ..

Just one of the reasons nic is tied to heart disease / stroke / .. it is a circulatory system constrictor .. that's why any surgeon will advise you to stop the use a few weeks or more before surgery ..

We live in a society that allows business to protect itself .. and we still have the Worlds greatest country ..

 

[yzer]

I oppose nicotine testing and denial of health insurance for nicotine users. Should health insurance be denied to users of nicotine gum?

However, I agree with Uncle Willie. Nicotine obtained from any source places the cardiovascular system at risk. Switching from tobacco smoking to vaping is a positive move toward better health. The next step is to reduce nicotine consumption while vaping with the eventual goal of eliminating nicotine use completely.

 

[John Phoenix]

Those that state nicotine is actually good for you are as bad as the places that want to implement the bans. The health risks of nicotine far outweigh any possible good ..

Just one of the reasons nic is tied to heart disease / stroke / .. it is a circulatory system constrictor .. that's why any surgeon will advise you to stop the use a few weeks or more before surgery ..

Not saying your entirely wrong, we know there are some small risks with nicotine use. However many things not just nicotine can cause problems with the cardiovascular system before surgery. Last time I was in surgery the Dr gave me a huge list. Nicotine in and of itself will not cause heart disease, lung disease or stroke but it could give a small increase in the risk factor for those who are predisposed to those conditions. I believe most doctors and scientists who have studied the issue believe the risks to be minimal.

As far as nicotine being good for you, there is evidence that nicotine can effectively treat some diseases. For regular users of nicotine, nicotine can stimulate learning (making you smarter). It was found when people get off of nicotine, these extra learning abilities went away.

While nicotine is highly addictive, researchers have also shown the drug to enhance learning and memory—a property that has launched efforts to develop nicotine-like drugs to treat cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Mechanism of nicotine's learning effects explored

Edit, because I found this interesting. At least one group of researchers have found nicotine to actually help stroke victims recover faster. http://www.uleth.ca/notice/display.html?b=4&s=3995

Does the potential health risks outweigh the potential benefit of using nicotine and vise versa? I think this would have to be examined on a case by case basis fully taking the persons state of health into account.

 

[Sanity Challenged]

Does the potential health risks outweigh the potential benefit of using nicotine and vise versa? I think this would have to be examined on a case by case basis fully taking the persons state of health into account.

Pffffft. Ridiculous. Who wants to examine complex questions on a case-by-case basis using real judgement? What we need is more snap-judgement. Then we can categorize people behind hard black-and-white lines, so that the larger groups can point at the smaller groups, blame them for all their problems, and punish them.

 

[Creniker]

I wonder what people would say if a place only hired smokers or vapers?

 

[Ruppy]

I wonder what people would say if a place only hired smokers or vapers?

Well as non smokers are not a protected class, as long as you didnt use any other basis is might hold up in court.....

Race, sex, religion, and age are the ones that get you in trouble.

 

[Shadow102]

Well as non smokers are not a protected class, as long as you didnt use any other basis is might hold up in court.....

Race, sex, religion, and age are the ones that get you in trouble.

Fat and ugly aren't protected classes either, when do we get to start creating policies to keep them away from "healthy" people?

 

[pianoguy]

If your state doesn't already have lifestyle discrimination laws, get cracking on pushing your representatives for them:

Labor: Lifestyle discrimination laws are becoming increasingly prevalent

 

[Ruppy]

Fat and ugly aren't protected classes either, when do we get to start creating policies to keep them away from "healthy" people?

LOL its been tried Especially with fat people.

If your state doesn't already have lifestyle discrimination laws, get cracking on pushing your representatives for them:

Labor: Lifestyle discrimination laws are becoming increasingly prevalent

Thanks for the good read As a employer always good tobe informed. Like a responsible employer I have converted most of my smoking staff to vaping Only two smokers left.

 

[Amutt]

A casino is about to open up in our town and they started hiring workers. However nicotine testing was mandatory as they will not hire smokers. I can understand the hospital aspect for SMOKERS as patients could make contact via third hand smoke, but for vaping not so much. What I think the reasoning is, is that when they test positive for nicotine they can just say they use electronic cigarettes and be off the hook. If that worked I am sure all of the smokers would make that claim and the policy would be worthless. Now... banning from a casino makes little sense to me as this is a house of vices. People have to go to hospitals which is understandable, but public places are optional and should be left alone. If you don't drink, would you go to a bar and demand a liquor ban?

Also while raising insurance rates for smokers seems unjust, you really wouldn't want them to "make it fair" by raising rates for obesity and anything else. This will just open doors for them to start finding anything else they could possibly use against us to raise premiums. We gotta stop it dead in it's tracks. Just like Verizon looking for more ways to punish... er... I mean charge us more.

On the hospital, I think it is a shame, though their right as a private business. I wonder the fallout, though on people with prescribed NRT. What are they doing in regards to say, Native Americans? Isn't tobacco considered religious, and wouldn't that fall under religious discrimination to say they couldn't use at all, even at home.


At a casino that just seems silly to me, though all of ours are exempt from smoking bans anyway and full of smoke.

 

[Fernand]

I find it repulsive that corporations use the desperate state of the economy to push people around. And I'm amazed some fall for it and actually justify it. Insurance is supposed to spread the risk. If they only "insure" healthy, young and perfect specimens, it's of no value to anyone but the profiteers. Genetic testing is next. I'm telling ya, we are turning into insects.

 

[Mac]

Fascism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Mac]

Fight back:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/outside/108748-how-beat-nicotine-urinalysis-screening.html

 

[heliguy]

I was just reading a ton of articles on this yesterday. What about all the severly overweight people who drink soda and eat junk food that work at these places. This tyoe of discrimination really makes me mad.

 

[Shamruck]

washvap...hospital personnel are suppose to portray the "live a healthy lifestyle" kinda thing. I think it's a bunch of garbage. They need to quit drinking caffeine products also!

AND alcohol, I'm one of those types that scoff when I'm told about the dangers of certain "illegal" chemicals (especially the one whos initials match Michael Jordan) and yet alcohol which is the cause for many thousands of deaths is straight up legit.... Why oh why is it ok to buy and use both in moderation and excess alcohol and cigarettes???

 

[KimberlyM]

I was just reading a ton of articles on this yesterday. What about all the severly overweight people who drink soda and eat junk food that work at these places. This tyoe of discrimination really makes me mad.

Have no fear, they will be next!

 

[Fernand]

... Why oh why is it ok to buy and use both in moderation and excess alcohol and cigarettes???

They are residual from an earlier time in which it wasn't anyone's business what you did to yourself. As Kimberley says, they too will go in time. Better to show solidarity with all so-called vices.

 

[erich]

Dr. Steven Bernstein, a professor at Yale University, added that smokers are also likely to take breaks more often, reducing hours worked. <<<<<<<<< excuse me? I never took a break that I didn't already have the right to take by the laws already in place by the government. Where does this IGMO get off saying that crap?

Stormie

Pretty sure I couldn't handle an 80 hour workweek without nicotine. Just sayin'...

 

[jacquelyn]

Have no fear, they will be next!

I doubt it. I know of many people who are over weight and obese who have medical reasons for it. Heck I have a friend who also has the lap band pretty much only can intake soup and is still very heavy. There are too many factors that happen other then someone over weight eat to much.
I gained weight now considered overweight because of a back problem. I use to work out ALL the time 6 days a week and now can't even walk a block with out pain. I eat on a very strict diet and I still can't loose the weight.