Police Smoking Ban

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-01-09 02:10am

Smoking cops now have to kick butts to keep their jobs in California.

Riverside County wants to cut back their skyrocketing workers' compensation insurance costs, and is kicking off the effort by banning smoking for anyone who wears a badge.

The sheriff's department has been ordered to no longer hire deputies who smoke and the ban could extend to all offices of county government.

Those in favor of the ban cite the numerous health risks associated with smoking and that the majority of workers complain come from public-safety personnel.

"About 17 percent of the people in California smoke, so statistically about 17 percent of the deputies that we would hire without this ban would smoke, and we hope to see somewhere in that range a reduction in workman's compensation claims," Roy Wilson of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors (search).

Riverside County isn't the first locality to enact this type of hiring ban — Florida and Massachusetts have passed similar non-smoking mandates.

But these types of bans have civil libertarians fuming, saying what a person does in their own home is their business.

"I think that government has to be restrained," said Ramona Ripston, of the American Civil Liberties Union (search). "And if we're not careful, they'll just encroach in too many areas of our life and what about being free, you know? We want to be free in America."

I think even non-smokers are going to feel that this sort of ban is a little strange. Any thoughts?

Death from the Sea · Post by **Death from the Sea** » 2004-01-09 02:21am

I see nothing wrong with this. Smoking negatively affects ones health and law enforcement officers need to be healthy. After all how is a two packa day smoker going to catch a crack addict on the run if he can't breathe?

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-01-09 02:29am

Death from the Sea wrote:I see nothing wrong with this. Smoking negatively affects ones health and law enforcement officers need to be healthy. After all how is a two packa day smoker going to catch a crack addict on the run if he can't breathe?

The same might be said for overweight people, yet they are not banned from becoming police officers.

Rubberanvil · Post by **Rubberanvil** » 2004-01-09 02:36am

The Kernel wrote:
Death from the Sea wrote:I see nothing wrong with this. Smoking negatively affects ones health and law enforcement officers need to be healthy. After all how is a two packa day smoker going to catch a crack addict on the run if he can't breathe?
The same might be said for overweight people, yet they are not banned from becoming police officers.

The cigerette smoke sticks to everything and it is still a threat for people with severe allergies to the smoke, even if the smoker hasn't smoke within the past 12 hours.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-01-09 02:56am

aren't there physical qualifications for police officers that want to join the force? just as with military officers?

being overweight might not exactly be beneficial to the job if you're a beat cop, but it can be taken care of by exercising regularly. smoking only damages your health, and the only way to fix that is to quit.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2004-01-09 03:04am

About 17 percent of the people in California smoke, so statistically about 17 percent of the deputies that we would hire without this ban would smoke, and we hope to see somewhere in that range a reduction in workman's compensation claims," Roy Wilson of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors (search).

They expect a 17% reduction in workers comp because of this crack brain idea? Apperently the cops can't smoke cigerette's but I wonder what the politicians are smoking?

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2004-01-09 05:19am

The Kernel wrote:FOX News

Well, this is silly..how can you justify stopping a person from doing something that is legal? Why should a person be discriminated against for doing something that is legal..albiet stupid?
you might regulate smoking in certain places however, as NZ has done.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-01-09 05:45am

Darth_Zod wrote:aren't there physical qualifications for police officers that want to join the force? just as with military officers?

being overweight might not exactly be beneficial to the job if you're a beat cop, but it can be taken care of by exercising regularly. smoking only damages your health, and the only way to fix that is to quit.

Please, do tell what sort of activities an overweight cop can do that a normal weight smoker cannot do.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2004-01-09 07:42am

*Restraining fury*

rubberanvil wrote:The cigerette smoke sticks to everything and it is still a threat for people with severe allergies to the smoke, even if the smoker hasn't smoke within the past 12 hours.

Will you please show me an example of someone being adversely affected by cigarette smoke "Sticking to everything"? asthmatics? if ther asthma is so severe that they are affected by the cigarette smell "Sticking to everything" then they are going to be even more affected walking down the sidewalk breathing in normal levels of pollution from cars. Additionally, someone with such severe allergies to it is going to be such a statistically tiny PIECE of a FRACTION of a number as to render it insignificant in the extreme. many people are severely allergic to cats, shall we hunt them down and kill all cats to appease them? What about people who are severely allergic to pollen, shall we eradicate flora in the vicinity of these people? I call complete and utter bullshit on this claim until I see some evidence backing it up.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-01-09 07:44am

Chardok wrote:*snip*

Thank you Chardok, my feelings exactly. It's not that I'm against smoking bans in restaurants, but when someone suggests that the mere act of smoking hours beforehand is going to be harmful to some people...well, that's bullshit, plain and simple.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2004-01-09 11:29am

The Kernel wrote:
Death from the Sea wrote:I see nothing wrong with this. Smoking negatively affects ones health and law enforcement officers need to be healthy. After all how is a two packa day smoker going to catch a crack addict on the run if he can't breathe?
The same might be said for overweight people, yet they are not banned from becoming police officers.

Actualy, they are. You must meet certain physical requirements and continue to meet these requirements for several years into the future. Certain police departments keep these requirements while others let them slide after a certain number of years seniority. Others will move the officer to a desk job if they don't meet the physical requirements.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-01-09 11:33am

Alyeska wrote: Actualy, they are. You must meet certain physical requirements and continue to meet these requirements for several years into the future. Certain police departments keep these requirements while others let them slide after a certain number of years seniority. Others will move the officer to a desk job if they don't meet the physical requirements.

My statement is still true. Overweight people are not banned from being cops are they? This ban effectively means that all cops must either quit smoking or be terminated; I have not heard of similar incidents involving fat cops being terminated.

Even if it were true, the reason for this ban has nothing to do with physical fitness for the job according to the article (after all, a person that smokes a single cigarette a day is hardly affecting his job) but rather it is an attempt to trim department costs on health insurance.

Death from the Sea · Post by **Death from the Sea** » 2004-01-09 04:17pm

The Kernel wrote:
Alyeska wrote: Actualy, they are. You must meet certain physical requirements and continue to meet these requirements for several years into the future. Certain police departments keep these requirements while others let them slide after a certain number of years seniority. Others will move the officer to a desk job if they don't meet the physical requirements.
My statement is still true. Overweight people are not banned from being cops are they? This ban effectively means that all cops must either quit smoking or be terminated; I have not heard of similar incidents involving fat cops being terminated.

It happens but not alot because most police departments are on a "civil service" system and that makes it extremely difficult to terminate a person unless they have majorly screwed up. Certain departments are "at will" departments just for that reason and they are much more strict on their regs.

Even if it were true, the reason for this ban has nothing to do with physical fitness for the job according to the article (after all, a person that smokes a single cigarette a day is hardly affecting his job) but rather it is an attempt to trim department costs on health insurance.

because at the end of the day money is what motivates most people and a chance to save some will probably win them over, especially when it is being spent of crap like smokers health care. I bet the other alternative that they offer is that they police pay increase be cut. Frankly if someones smoking habit screwed me out of a pay increase I would make them quit smoking too.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-01-09 04:34pm

Death from the Sea wrote:because at the end of the day money is what motivates most people and a chance to save some will probably win them over, especially when it is being spent of crap like smokers health care. I bet the other alternative that they offer is that they police pay increase be cut. Frankly if someones smoking habit screwed me out of a pay increase I would make them quit smoking too.

Good thing we don't live in the Totalitarian utopia that allows people to violate the civil rights of one group just so another can get a raise.

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2004-01-09 05:00pm

Here in Chico, Ca., no city employee is allowed to use any tobacco products.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2004-01-09 05:06pm

California is getting annoying. I blame trance music and mysticism.
Music made by republicans to make liberals stupid.[/end conspiracy theory]

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2004-01-09 05:34pm

My insurance company sends out a yearly packet to every insuree, and if you are a smoker, you have a higher premium.

If you're a non-smoker, but forget to sign and return the information, you get billed as a smoker.

Since I don't smoke, my premiums are about 25% cheaper.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-01-09 07:18pm

The Kernel wrote:
Darth_Zod wrote:aren't there physical qualifications for police officers that want to join the force? just as with military officers?

being overweight might not exactly be beneficial to the job if you're a beat cop, but it can be taken care of by exercising regularly. smoking only damages your health, and the only way to fix that is to quit.
Please, do tell what sort of activities an overweight cop can do that a normal weight smoker cannot do.

irrelevant. both of them can harm your ability to perform on a job that's physically demanding. it's kind of hard chasing down a criminal on the job if you can't keep up with them due to either being out of shape and heavy or if you have breathing problems from smoking too much.

but as i said the only way to become healthier from a smoking condition, especially if they have breathing problems, is to quit smoking. on the other hand regular exercise will improve someone whose overweight or otherwise out of shape.

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