Work is banning all tobacco use

[tombanjo]

Part of me gets it. I fully realize that smoking = bad, and that it raises healthcare costs for everyone. And then there's the issue of 2nd hand smoke. Being that I work at a hospital, I can understand why they wouldn't want visitors being exposed to smoke.
But my issue is that I feel should be able to snus at my desk without being bundled in with the smokers. I'm not doing substantial harm to my health, and I'm not affecting the health of others. As for the $50, it isn't a money issue, it's the principal of it (although I'm sure my wife will be over me to quit when she finds out).
For God's sake I work a 12 hour night shift, and only about 2-3 hours of that includes patient contact. I'm typically sitting at a computer monitoring patients from 10pm til 6am. That's a lot of time I could snus without bothering anyone.

[justintempler]

Part of me gets it. I fully realize that smoking = bad, and that it raises healthcare costs for everyone. And then there's the issue of 2nd hand smoke. Being that I work at a hospital, I can understand why they wouldn't want visitors being exposed to smoke.
But my issue is that I feel should be able to snus at my desk without being bundled in with the smokers. I'm not doing substantial harm to my health, and I'm not affecting the health of others. As for the $50, it isn't a money issue, it's the principal of it (although I'm sure my wife will be over me to quit when she finds out).
For God's sake I work a 12 hour night shift, and only about 2-3 hours of that includes patient contact. I'm typically sitting at a computer monitoring patients from 10pm til 6am. That's a lot of time I could snus without bothering anyone.

I have a solution that you should be able to get away with...

Buy a couple of one of the tobacco free/nicotine free snus and use the container for your at work snusing. Dump out the contents and replace with your favorite snus.

[lxskllr]

Smokers healthcare costs less over a lifetime, than non smokers does; therefore tobacco users should get a $50 per month refund, right? Or should non smokers have to pay a premium?

[RobsanX]

Sorry to hear about that. You know there will come a day when you can get marijuana for an ingrown toenail, and go to jail for having a Marlboro.

I take it you're not in a union shop, so you have no recourse against these draconian tactics. "Drug" testing for tobacco? WTF!

[Simplysnus]

Where I used to work at you got charged extra if you didn't do a fitness activity, roughly $250 a year. So did your spouse if they were on the policy.

Now they had no way of testing you like with tobacco, and you just had to "report" twice a year on something you were doing, but I viewed it as a definite early step.

Privacy and what a workplace can require from you and your behavior away from work is always a fun subject.

[WickedKitchen]

Maybe there's something more sinister here. I mean, it will cost the company a hundred dollars or so per test to have you randomly tested. With all the regulations and such they'll use a company that specifically does this sort of test. That company has to make a buck too so my point is there's a cost involved...it's not like the company could test itself with accuracy that would hold up in a court even though it is a hospital. Maybe the insurance industry or our government is behind it. The theory is plausible, if you admit to tobacco use then it becomes part of your medical records and your insurance companies have access to that info. So does your life insurance as far as I know. They could then charge you a higher premium and by their definition, rightfully so.

Also, nicotine leaves the body fairly quickly so a random test, even monthly could prove only that nicotine has been consumed in the past few days. I cannot prove chronic use as far as I can see. I might be wrong there, but couldn't you just say you were at a party and it was a one-time thing?

check this out:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/26...icotine-blood/

also

Q: What is the lowest amount of second hand smoke exposure that the test can detect?
A: The test can detect as little as 6 nanograms per mL of cotinine (a nanogram is one billionth of a gram, a mL is one fifth of a teaspoon). The amount of exposure you have will vary depending on the amount of smoke in the air and other factors. The test can be positive if you have been in a tobacco smoke environment for a little as an hour in the past 2 to 3 days.


this too:


http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/nico..._testing.shtml

[c.nash]

That's kinda BS.

It's like they are putting tobacco on the illegal substance list.

Good luck man, that would never happen in my company. Out of the 3 owners, one smokes cigars and one smokes cigarettes. There is one VP that dips and I'm sure there is quite a few others haha.

[RobsanX]

check this out:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/26...icotine-blood/

also

Q: What is the lowest amount of second hand smoke exposure that the test can detect?
A: The test can detect as little as 6 nanograms per mL of cotinine (a nanogram is one billionth of a gram, a mL is one fifth of a teaspoon). The amount of exposure you have will vary depending on the amount of smoke in the air and other factors. The test can be positive if you have been in a tobacco smoke environment for a little as an hour in the past 2 to 3 days.

OT. Does anyone else find it ironic that Lance Armstrong's website has detailed information about how long chemical substances remain in the the bloodstream?

[CoderGuy]

Consider yourself lucky. Some companies are banning the use of tobacco off premises too. If you continue to use tobacco at home you become jobless. Atleast you aren't being forced to quit to retain your job.

I have heard of places where that is happening, and not just tobacco but also weight. Mostly government and medical but I decided no matter what my financial situation if my company did that I would quit. Just out of the principle that I don't want to work for a company that wants to dictate my personal life. Where does it end? Suddenly your company decides if they don't see you at Sunday services you are fired, or they monitor your internet and if you visit certain sites you are reprimanded. I know it sounds alarmist but once precedence is set by allowing them to control any aspect (like weight and tobacco) you have opened Pandora's Box. Unfortunately for us people don't consider tobacco use a "right" (even though it is the right of being free to live your life) and are largely against it, so when they see things like this they turn a blind eye. Some day one of these decisions will "affect them" and they will be powerless to stop it and will be whining, "How did this happen? Who gave them the right to control my life? Blah blah blah"

[khalid]

Not much to add other than, wow that is outrageous. Me, I couldn't continue working there, but then I can't work for anybody anymore, that's why I am self employed these days for the most part. Corporatism seems to have taken over the world of work, even the voluntary and statutory sector which used to provide a great deal of freedom and autonomy. In my last workplace they employed five full time H.R people in a company that employed a little over 100 people, they had so much time on their hands they they were even checking to see if we were eating a 'healthy' lunch.

[snusgetter]

How long before the ACLU chimes in on these illegal practices and tests?
Or does it have to get past the stage of critical invasion?
How many lives must be disrupted first?

[CoderGuy]

How long before the ACLU chimes in on these illegal practices and tests?
Or does it have to get past the stage of critical invasion?
How many lives must be disrupted first?

It has to affect "good" people, not fat people or smokers, then they will step in.

[NonServiam]

That's BS. There is a huge difference in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. I think the post of telling them you use gum/patches is a smart idea. Or just lie to them and see if you can find some piss-clean stuff at a local head shop. I know of one (from when I was young) called MegaClean 2000. It was a very small vial that you added to your piss in the cup. Worked everytime! The biggest pain in the ass I have experienced from working with smokers is the frequent and long smoke breaks they take. They spend more time smoking at work than actually working!

[truthwolf1]

I would just pay the 50 and snus all you want on the sly. Make sure you use every vacation day, dont work more then you have to and make a b.s. list every year of your added tasks.
That way you can demand more money each year from the NAZI do gooder company to pay those 50 bucks.

[snusgetter]

How long before the ACLU chimes in on these illegal practices and tests?
Or does it have to get past the stage of critical invasion?
How many lives must be disrupted first?

It has to affect "good" people, not fat people or smokers, then they will step in.

Are you saying, in other words, there are no fat people or smokers who contribute to the ACLU?

I would think the following would apply here:

• Drug Law Reform
  The ACLU Drug Law Reform Project's goal is to end punitive drug policies that cause the widespread violation of constitutional and human rights, as well as unprecedented levels of incarceration.

Maybe even Drug Testing | American Civil Liberties Union.

Or any one of the sundry Key Issues.