Melbourne May Ban Off-the-Job
Smoking by Employees
ASH Urges City to Act to Save 25% or
More in Smoking-Related Costs
Melbourne, Florida, is considering joining a growing number of
employers who are insisting that their workers not smoke on or off the
job. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a national nonsmokers'
right
organization, has suggested that such a move could save them 25% or
more in health and other smoking-related costs.
ASH also cited a very recent CBS-TV Evening
News report on this growing trend of employers refusing to hire
smokers. The report closed by suggesting that firing employees
who smoke may be a "national model" and a "new reality."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/20/eveningnews/main1227183.shtml
ASH argued that "the CBS broadcast pointed out that 'it's estimated
that smokers cost an
extra $4,000 a year each for health care costs and lost productivity,'
and that 'thirty percent of Scotts' 5,300 U.S. workers smoke.'
This
means that, although smoking is prohibited on Scotts'
premises, off-the-job smoking by Scotts' 1590 smoking employees still
costs Scotts over $6.3 million each year –
according to the figures reported by CBS. This amounts to over
25% of the company's annual health care cost of $24 million. Certainly
any plan which could achieve proportionately the same savings for
Melbourne should be given very careful consideration."
ASH also argued that, "according to CBS's figures, this works out to
over $1,700 for
each nonsmoking employee Assuming that the amount of money
Scott's (or
Melbourne) is able to spend on medical care is fixed, this $6.3 million
a year could be used to reduce the health care premiums its workers
play, add more comprehensive drug coverage, or provide other
benefits.
In short, failing to control smoking discriminates against the
overwhelming majority of worker who have wisely chosen not to smoke by
forcing them to assume -- directly or indirectly -- the costs of
smoking."
ASH also noted that the Florida Supreme Court has ruled that it is
legal for businesses and governmental employees to refuse to hire
smokers, and that numerous courts have held that there is no right to
smoke. ASH's letter supporting the smoking ban also addressed
more of
the other common arguments.
