Nicotine in pre-employment drug screen?

BabyRN2Be · Nov 18, 2005

Last I heard, cigarettes are not illegal.
BUT, I have heard of a few employers that have enacted no smoking policies for workers. They first gave the employees a year or so to quit using comapny sponsered programs. Later they dropped smokers from the health plan and finally they let those who could not quit go.
It's been all over the news.

I know that this may not be popular and I don't want to start any debates, but this comes as good news to me. For a long time I just couldn't understand why the smokers could go out several times a day for 20 minute breaks leaving the rest of us to pick up the slack, engaging an activity which is dangerous to their health. In the meantime, people who suffer from chronic pain can't take legal prescription medications from their doctors, even though it's been proven again and again that those on long term chronic pain control don't have the side effects that acute pain patients do. The perceptions are not altered, and it also has been proven that chronic patients who work when their pain is uncontrolled are more of a liability because they are more impaired.

Not that this is going to change anything, but this makes the game a little more fair to me.

Once again, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but I've said this for a long time.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2005

I know that this may not be popular and I don't want to start any debates, but this comes as good news to me. For a long time I just couldn't understand why the smokers could go out several times a day for 20 minute breaks leaving the rest of us to pick up the slack.....

Not all smokers do this. I smoke, but not at work. I can do without nicotine for 12 hrs. I smoke on my drive to work, then douse myself with Febreze and chew Altoids. It really works. When I've gone out w/ co-workers after work, they are always surprised to see me light up. I've heard over and over again "I didn't know you smoked!"

Let's not start on about how smokers take too many breaks or don't work as hard as others. I've worked with plenty of lazy butts, both smokers and non-smokers.

nurse4theplanet, RN · Nov 18, 2005

Not all smokers do this. I smoke, but not at work. I can do without nicotine for 12 hrs. I smoke on my drive to work, then douse myself with Febreze and chew Altoids. It really works. When I've gone out w/ co-workers after work, they are always surprised to see me light up. I've heard over and over again "I didn't know you smoked!"
Let's not start on about how smokers take too many breaks or don't work as hard as others. I've worked with plenty of lazy butts, both smokers and non-smokers.

:yeahthat:

lets stick to the topic of smoking related to employment...

I have never heard of a pre employment drug screen testing for nicotine, nor would I consent to one. I smoke and I am not going to let someone judge my nursing competence based on that. It all comes down to big business wanting to save a buck and I do not support that at my expense. I would love to quit smoking...and hopefully one day I will be successful. But if i give in to this mentality then when will it stop....give them an inch and they will take a mile!

pricklypear · Nov 18, 2005

This is an infringement on one's civil liberties. Smoking is just as dangerous for some as it is for others to eat a fatty diet and clog their arteries...am I going to be fired for going to KFC after work?:rotfl: Where are they going to draw the line? Like one article mentioned, a man was fired from his job for riding a motorcycle on his time off because it was "hazardous". Come on!!!!!
As long as these activities are legal and do not interfere with job performance, then what is the problem...health care costs are not a valid argument, because too many other variables go into disease. Genetics anyone??? How soon will it be before we are denied employment based on our genetic pre-disposition to DM, Heart Disease, Autoimmune d/o, cancer, sickle cell anemia, etc. etc. etc.

You are soooo right here. The excuse of "health care costs" is just way to justify the discrimination. Insurance companies do increase costs for smokers, though. Even though we smoke by "choice," other health care concerns are either caused or exacerbated by choices people make. Overeating is a choice, poor diet is a choice, sedentary lifestyle is a choice, refusing to seek preventitive care is a choice, risky behavior (skydiving, racing, climbing,etc) is a choice. "Oh, you haven't been for a PAP in 8 years?? Sorry, you're too much of a risk." All of those things can lead to increased health care costs for the individual involved. Smoking is just becoming the whipping boy for all the health problems that we have given ourselves today. If we're gonna screen for nicotine, we should screen for all that, too. The Stepford Nurses.

Balder_LPN, LPN · Nov 25, 2005

Wow, do they have a weight cut off? What if you're diabetic? History of CAD? My last employer gave you a 15$ a month break on insurance for being a non smoker. But they didn't test you for nicotine.

I beleive all that stuff is coming soon. If people (not just nurses) dont get vocal about it, it is going to happen, once you choose not to hire smokers, where will the line be drawn of what health criteria is used to hire?

also although you where not tested for nicotine, when you sign up for insurance you are authorizing the provider to check your health records with what inusurers call the MIB (medical information bureau) this is like a credit bureau for insurers, it contains information on all health claims paid by nearly any US insurer on you. If you have told a doctor you smoke, it will be here. this is how they often catch preexisting conditions. and dont worry, it's not been shut down by HIPAA!

think about those implications.....

dfk, RN, CRNA · Dec 2, 2005

bogus bogus bogus... btw/ it's not part of your standard 5 or 10 panel screen.. it costs facilities more to be more specific.. what a joke.. i don't smoke, but ****, when will it end and how far will it go? you can't wear blue on thursdays?? good luck at any place that institutes such...!!!!

gtmoore · Dec 2, 2005

I believe our hospital does check for nicotine. They also charge "smokers" a higher rate for health insurance.

bluestar · Dec 2, 2005

No, never heard of it.

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 2, 2005

CLEARLY this is not done where I work!

pannie · Dec 2, 2005

I know they do check for nicotine when you apply for insurance for LTC. I have heard of being asked in an employment interview (is that legal?) but not heard of testing. I'm a former smoker (still feeling like a deprived smoker), but didn't smoke at work (or on the way) so my fellow employees were shocked when they were served drinks and I lit up. I just plain don't like the taste of alcohol so my vice was smoking. It worked out for them -they had a designated driver.

nurse4theplanet, RN · Dec 2, 2005

I know they do check for nicotine when you apply for insurance for LTC. I have heard of being asked in an employment interview (is that legal?) but not heard of testing. I'm a former smoker (still feeling like a deprived smoker), but didn't smoke at work (or on the way) so my fellow employees were shocked when they were served drinks and I lit up. I just plain don't like the taste of alcohol so my vice was smoking. It worked out for them -they had a designated driver.

see I can completely understand the rationale of having higher insurance for participating in an activity known to cause serious health problems. I even think it is appropriate to not allow smoking at work or just before coming into work...but not to hire you, or even worse, to fire you for being a smoker is just insane and unjust.

pannie · Dec 2, 2005

I agree about the employment. If you don't take extra breaks, you don't reek, you pay your extra insurance, it's no one's business.

I think all smokers have an epiphany at some point, though. It might be a cough, or walking into a smoking area and smelling it, climbing stairs, the death of someone, etc.