A California lawmaker is once again sparking a debate over efforts to tighten anti-smoking laws in the state. State Senator Mark DeSaulnier says California led the country in the 90′s when it banned smoking in the workplace. But, he says there are still loopholes in the ban, and every day thousands of people are exposed to secondhand smoke. But, tobacco shops aren’t happy with his proposed bill. It may soon be harder for smokers to find a spot to light up. DeSaulnier is looking to crack down on secondhand smoke. “25 other states and the District of Columbia have gone beyond ... Jump to full article >>

Before the April 5 smoking initiative, examine the history of the tobacco industry. 1950s: Doctors were paid to testify cigarettes were actually good for you. 1960s: Tobacco industry denies veracity of mounting evidence that tobacco was a real health hazard killing people daily. 1970s, ’80s and ’90s: Big tobacco spent millions claiming in court that tobacco was never responsible for one single death. 2000s: Having lied, litigated, lost and found responsible for uncountable deaths, they began anew the cycle of lies and deception: Denying the health risks that secondhand smoke is pro ... Jump to full article >>

Businesses could potentially save $100 billion annually in productivity alone if cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke were eliminated. While that level of savings is an optimal goal, curbing smoking in the workplace and educating employees on the dangers of and ways to quit could have a significant impact on the bottom line, according to an official with the Midwest Business Group on Health. The organization is one of 30 that received grants from the Chicago Tobacco Prevention Project, part of a program developing citywide policy strategies designed to decrease tobacco use and exposure to se ... Jump to full article >>

Smokers now face another risk from their habit: It could cost them a shot at a job. More hospitals and medical businesses are adopting strict policies that make smoking a reason to turn away job applicants, saying they want to increase worker productivity, reduce health care costs and encourage healthier living. The new rules essentially treat cigarettes like an illegal narcotic. Applications now warn of “tobacco-free hiring,” job seekers must submit to urine tests for nicotine and new employees caught smoking face termination. This shift to smoker-free workplaces has prompted shar ... Jump to full article >>

VIERA — Will Brevard County workers who light up have to pay up for health coverage? It’s part of a policy change the county is looking into, which would also restrict even where they smoke at work. Commissioners are considering a policy banning smoking and other tobacco use near county building entrances, where designated areas now exist, and also in county vehicles. The human resources department cites American Cancer Society statistics, saying smoking kills nearly 400,000 people in the U.S. each year, and it’s the No. 1 preventable death. Stats show smokers cost employers ... Jump to full article >>

LARGO — City human resources director Susan Sinz noticed that a third of Largo employees’ catastrophic insurance claims in 2010 were due to smoking-related ailments. So she brought city commissioners ideas that could save Largo up to $400,000 a year in insurance costs: Don’t hire smokers, and ban employees from smoking altogether, or at least from smoking on city property. Another idea: Ban all smoking on public property. In addition to saving money, Sinz said, such policies would improve employee well-being. Such policies are commonplace among police and fire departments in Pine ... Jump to full article >>

THE regional Department of Health is concerned over the increasing instances of smoking in public and in government agencies and its effects on people’s health. Government agencies have not been totally spared from second- and third-hand smoke. Reports from the DOH-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) showed that of the 18 government agencies it surveyed for anti-smoking regulations, four received a rating of “needs improvement”. DOH-CAR anti-smoking coordinator Lily Bimuyag claims these agencies allow smoking in their workplaces instead of designating a specific area for s ... Jump to full article >>

Smokers will no longer be welcome at one American workplace as starting January 1. The Massachusetts Hospital Association, a health advocacy organization which represents about 90 hospitals, is implementing the tobacco-free hiring policy after a few months of deliberation. ‘Smoking is a personal choice, and as an employer I have a personal choice within the law about who we hire and who we don’t,’ CEO Lynn Nicholas said. Her father died from smoking. ‘The MHA,’ she said, ‘Is a spokesperson for hospitals across the commonwealth, and tobacco use is the leading ... Jump to full article >>

Workers could be forced to clock off when they go for a cigarette under proposals made by a Norfolk council. Breckland Council said the move aimed to make it fairer for individuals who did not smoke. Staff will not be paid in future for the time they take to have a cigarette if the proposals are given the go-ahead at a meeting on Wednesday. Simon Clark, from Smokers’ lobby group Forest, said everyone was entitled to a break during work. He said: “Are they going to introduce clocking in and off for people who go on the internet, on Facebook, or people who want to have a cup of coffe ... Jump to full article >>

Employees of a Rochester, N.Y., firm have lost a ton of weight — actually 2,093 pounds to be exact, company officials said. As part of an overall wellness initiative that includes smoking cessation, stress management, nutrition education and a health fair, North American Breweries began a company-wide weight loss challenge last January for employees divided into teams of four. Members of a team named Weapons of Mass Reduction lost 15.2 percent of their total body weight, while 11 teams won prizes and 31 individuals shed more than 6 percent of their body weight. Collectively, their losses ... Jump to full article >>

Workers who take smoking breaks may be clocking up as much as eight days’ extra leave every year, a conference in Dublin was told yesterday. Miriam Gunning, acting senior health promotion officer on tobacco in the Health Service Executive (HSE), said she was given the estimate by a human resource officer from outside the sector. She was speaking as it was announced that all acute hospitals campuses would outlaw smoking in the next five years for patients and staff. So far, only St Vincent’s Hospital and Connolly Hospital in Dublin have introduced the ban, while Cork University Hosp ... Jump to full article >>