Michigan: Hospitals require workers be smoke-free (More hard news for smokers)

woodtv.com ^ | Sep 28, 2006

[RandallFlagg]

He buys the filter tubes and has a machine that rolls 2 at a time. He's pretty good at pumping out a carton of cigarettes in about 20 minutes.

WOW! Where'd he get that machine?
My Top-O-Matic gets about a half-hour for a carton -but I've never heard of one that does 2 at once.

[slugbug]

"The staffs of both hospitals will need to arrive without smelling of smoke"



If they smoke at home (and even if they don't but someone else in the home smokes), the smell is in all their clothes, most likely in their hair, etc. so I don't see how this will happen unless they make them shower at the hospital and wear hospital laundered scrubs...

[patton]

LOL. Whatever works for you.

As you might imagine, my company has a slightly different business model.

[RandallFlagg]

Speaking of Scotts, did they ever relent? Or are we still not buying their product?
Gotta get ready for next year's season, ya know.

[goodnesswins]

What about their weight....many of the nurses I've seen are obese.

[SheLion]

Gotta agree with Gabz here. But, look on the bright side:
The workers who will be fed up with it will leave, the quality will suffer and the hospital would close.
Of course, it'd be blamed on something other than this ridiculous policy.
They're shooting themselves in the foot. Let's just get out of their way and let them.

Oh I agree with Gabz 110%!  But looking at it from the smoker's side of the fence, it's going to be miserable for those that aren't ready to quit.  I know if that were me, I would really be upset over this about now.....

Gotta agree with Gabz here. But, look on the bright side:
The workers who will be fed up with it will leave, the quality will suffer and the hospital would close.
Of course, it'd be blamed on something other than this ridiculous policy.
They're shooting themselves in the foot. Let's just get out of their way and let them.

Oh I agree with Gabz 110%!  But looking at it from the smoker's side of the fence, it's going to be miserable for those that aren't ready to quit.  I know if that were me, I would really be upset over this about now.....

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Don't get me wrong, I hate smoking. Mr. does it and I resent the damage he does to his health and our bank account. But on the other hand, for those who think raising cigarette taxes, and others forbidding employees from smoking, I wonder if they've considered what they're going to do to replace the lost tax revenue. They're a bunch of hypocrites.

Raising cigarette taxes can mean higher taxes in the long term for nonsmokers as tax revenues fall and everyone else will have to make up for the lost revenue.

Raising cigarette taxes is a very bad idea.

[SheLion]

I'm glad the hospital is offering classes and aids before the big day. However, some people just aren't going to want to quit, and I'm afraid it may get really ugly.

I just said that. A lot of them aren't ready to quit or don't want to quit.  I know if that were me and I had to face all of this no smoking, I would be getting pretty upset about now.

The stress alone will make the smokers smoke more!  I know I am smoking more just thinking about it.  :)

[SheLion]

Fortunately we can still get cigarettes for less than $20 a carton, even at the local convenience store.

Good lord, are you serious?  The cheapest cigarettes in Maine are Doral's.  And they cost $46 dollars a carton what with that $20 dollars Maine taxes.  Boy, are you lucky!

[cripplecreek]

My cousin has one of these.

[MSM Hater]

Kent County is a very red county. The county went for Bush over Kerry in the last election by a 60-40 margin.

While they only allude to it in the article, I believe the main concern is lost productivity for smoking employees. A typical smoker takes fifteen minutes per hour for smoke breaks (pack-and-a-half-a-day habit.) Therefore the employee gets paid for 8 hours while only working 6. Some companies have solved this by making their employees make up the time wasted on smoke breaks.

[Gabz]

I'm still not buying their products........

I picked up a couple of books with all homemade, mostly non chemical concoctions for just about every known gardening problem.

www.jerrybaker.com

[RandallFlagg]

Hmmm. I'll have to try that one out.

Thanks.

[SheLion]

So in the middle of a long busy shift when you wish you could take a smoking break - remember those in the beds appreciate every big and little thing you do to help us recover. We just don't say it sometimes.

I second that!  Hospital staff are the best!!!  Over worked, under paid but we sure are thankful they are there for us!

[Niuhuru]

Ugh. I'm so ashamed to be living here.

[SheLion]

I recently started making my own, too. I love the fact that the a$$holes aren't getting any more outrageous taxes from me.

Screw these people.

 

[mysterio]

Looks like Michigan wants an even bigger staff shortage at their hospitals. I'll make sure and never go there on vacation.

[Dolphy]

I don't know about a huge gang problem but there has been, what seems to me, a simmering boil going on in the black community in the city.

[SheLion]

My company doesn't hire smokers, period. They tend to be lazy losers, more interested in their next fix than the work at hand, and a drag on the health insurance.

OMG ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SAY THIS?  Damn!

Lazy losers?????  Fix????  Drag on health insurance?????

Is this really YOU?????

Boy, I sure will be ready for you the next time you come into a smoking thread!

[Gabz]

Good lord, are you serious?

Totally serious. I think dorals are about $22.......but I don't buy any products from any of the major companies anymore. The brand I buy, Tahoe's, are made by a small regional company here in Virginia. They also make a brand Brailey's which is a little more expensive.

My Tahoes are $16.59 a carton. The VA cig tax is $3 a carton, plus 5% sales tax.

Even Marlboro's, which are about the most expensive of the major brands can be found for $25 a carton.

Because I live so close to the state line, the vast majority of cars in the parking lots of the cig outlets are from out of state.