<p>Geisinger health system in central Pa.</p>
<p>I know it is an issue of health insurance cost and not ethics, but I think there are far more pressing issues to keep up on than whether employees smoke. I’ve known nurses who have been caught stealing drugs - or taking drugs prior to their workday - and who have been suspended or fired, but not often lose their licenses. These are things that would concern me more as a patient than whether my nurse smoked. </p>
<p>I certainly agree that there are more dangerous activities an employee could partake in, and if there are smoking areas for families visiting patients, then it isn’t helping anyone by denying workers the same ability on their breaks. </p>
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<p>I’m curious about the absenteeism thing - do they actually have stats on reasons for call-outs? I know smoking can weaken the immune system and make people more susceptible to other illnesses, but so can a variety of other things, including a poor diet, little exercise, etc.</p>
<p>And for the record, I am not a smoker and don’t like being around smoke. But I don’t think this policy will be very effective with deterring people from smoking. Smoking is expensive - if they aren’t willing to kick the habit and save their money on packs of cigarettes, they probably aren’t going to kick the habit to save whatever the penalty is for not quitting that current employees will be charged each year.</p>