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Smoked out
projo.com ^ | 04-04-04 | JENNIFER LEVITZ

Posted on 04/05/2004 8:16:18 AM PDT by SheLion

Smoked out

Some companies now forbid workers to smoke anywhere on their property -- not on the sidewalk, not even in their cars in the parking lot.

01:00 AM EST on Sunday, April 4, 2004

BY JENNIFER LEVITZ
Journal Staff Writer

Everyone knows you can't smoke in the office anymore.

But increasingly, you can't smoke outside work either.

At Rhode Island Hospital, employees have a nickname for their designated outdoor smoking kiosks: butt huts.

The workers, however, could consider themselves indulged that they're allowed to puff on the hospital's sprawling property at all.

Because a few miles away at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, in Cranston, employees who want a cigarette must punch out, get in their cars, and drive off store grounds. Workers who sneak a smoke in their cars in the Lowe's parking lot can be disciplined under a corporate policy that went into effect in September. Workers at Beacon Mutual Insurance Co., in Warwick, also aren't allowed to smoke in their cars in the parking lot, or it could lead to a note in their personnel file.

Molly Clark, director of environmental health programs at the American Lung Association of Rhode Island, says the smoke-ban trend is "regulating outdoors as well" as indoors.

Companies send smokers outside, she said, only to find them huddled by the front doors in a cloud of stale smoke.

But the outdoor restrictions aren't only about secondhand smoke and unwelcoming whiffs at the front door.

Some employers, believing that smokers drive up health-care costs, are unabashedly trying to get them to quit. Companies might run into legal problems if they refuse to hire smokers, but they can make it a hassle to be one.

When toymaker Hasbro Inc. created a designated outdoor smoking area last year, "we tried to make it as inconvenient as possible," said Robert Carniaux, senior vice president of human resources. "We were hoping that we might effect some change in behavior."

CHER SILVIA wishes people would stop minding her behavior.

That behavior has included dragging on Dorals for 24 years.

In December, Silvia started RI Rights, an online activism group for Rhode Island smokers, who don't want to see the state go the way of New York and other smoke-free places. Silvia, of Tiverton, is retired and lives in Lake Placid, Fla., but she comes north for the summer.

If Rhode Island starts enacting bans all over, she said last week in a friendly, husky voice, "I can't take it."

She said employers who tell workers they can't smoke in their cars -- or on the property -- have gone too far.

"They're nannies," she said. "They've got to tell us what's best for us. I don't appreciate it at all. I can live my own life the way I want to."

Such workplace bans are ahead of what is required by Rhode Island law. Rhode Island's smoking laws, which have lagged behind those in border states, don't ban smoking in workplaces.

But that may change.

On Thursday, the House leadership introduced legislation that would ban smoking in virtually every public place, including restaurants, shopping malls and private office buildings. The bill would also require that employers who allow their workers to smoke outside "must provide an area which is physically separated from the enclosed workplace so as to prevent the migration of smoke into the workplace."

The bill sponsored by House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox represents more than six months of negotiations and marks a reversal for the House, which last year allowed similar legislation passed by the Senate to die.

Rep. Elizabeth M. Dennigan, D-East Providence, has been a leader on the smoke-ban issue during her eight years in the House.

"We certainly have more support this year. I think a lot of that has to do with what has happened regionally since we adjourned last year," Dennigan said, referring to New York and the sweeping smoking laws that have passed in Connecticut. Legislation in Massachusetts has passed the House and Senate, and the governor has promised not to veto it.

REGARDLESS of what's happening at the General Assembly, a nonprofit agency called the Worksite Wellness Council of Rhode Island is working with Rhode Island companies to change smoking policies.

The council is an affiliate of the Worksite Wellness Council of America, a national organization started in 1982 by some workers in Omaha, Neb.

The original mission was to "enhance the health and well-being of employees," thereby helping companies save money and time, according to the national council's Web site. The Omaha council's success spurred "cost-conscious" employers in other communities to form their own councils. Rhode Island's Department of Health helped local companies start the wellness council here in 1999.

The Worksite Wellness Council of Rhode Island is now its own nonprofit organization with 150 members. Jeffrey Johnson, vice president of community relations at Beacon Mutual Insurance, is president.

He said the wellness council has used Health Department statistics to "find out what is killing" Rhode Islanders.

"We've tried to take the top five things and try to find grant money and go out and make a critical difference in the workplace," he said.

He said that if employers spend money and time on their workers' health, they can "reduce health-care costs, workers' comp costs," absenteeism -- and boost productivity.

For each of four years now, the local wellness council has received a $50,000 grant from the state's share of federal tobacco money. As part of the $246-billion tobacco settlement of 1998, tobacco companies make annual payments to states.

The wellness council uses the tobacco grant money to send Debra Foley, a consultant, to workplaces. Foley said it is her job to assist employers in achieving a smoke-free status.

Foley has worked with some 175 companies over the past four years.

The majority do have some restrictions on where smoking is allowed outside building, she said.

She knows of 8 or 10 companies that have entirely smoke-free premises. And more are considering it.

"In the last month I have had four companies referred to me that are interested in going to a smoke-free campus," she said.

Policies are the most effective way to encourage smokers to quit smoking, she said.

DR. RICHARD BROWN, director of addictions research at Butler Hospital and Brown University, found it interesting that some companies are enforcing policies as a way not only to keep the air cleaner, but to change habits.

"My personal reaction is that it's a little more controversial," he said.

People tend to not like to have behaviors dictated to them, he said.

He said those workplace smoking policies, however, could be positive if the strict rules are paired with education and support for the smokers. Hasbro, Beacon Mutual, Lowe's and other companies said they did phase in their smoking policies and have offered to help employees quit with smoking cessation-classes and health fairs. Hasbro even brought in a hypnotist.

Beacon Mutual started educating and warning its smokers long before the company moved 2 1/2 years ago from rented offices to its privately owned headquarters overlooking Route 95 in Warwick. As a tenant, it could not stop employees from puffing in the hallways; as owner of its headquarters, it could.

"We told them a year before we moved that there would be no smoking on the grounds," said Johnson, the vice president of community relations.

And that there would be no smoking in the parking lot.

Some employees said, but it's my car. The company told them that they were on private property. "A couple of people did get caught," Johnson said, but it never went beyond a verbal warning. However, future offenses could result in a written warning that would become part of their personnel file.

Once in the new building, the company also banned the informal practice of smoking breaks.

"The rest of the people were saying, 'How come smokers get a break and go outside and we don't?' " Johnson said.

"We said, 'You're absolutely right. That's not fair, because we're rewarding bad behavior.' That's when we said to supervisors, you've got to stay on top of it and make sure smokers are not allowed to take breaks."

MOST OF THE NEW hires come with the understanding that they will have to go until lunchtime without a cigarette. Johnson said Beacon is doing its employees a favor.

"We can't afford to do all these self-destructive behaviors, and people are finally waking up to that fact," he said.

Down in Florida, Cher Silvia, founder of RI Rights, has been collecting data on workplace smoking bans.

Along with running RI Rights, Silvia is a member of Illinois Smokers, Florida Smokers, Florida Rights, Maine Rights, the Smokers Club forum, and more.

"This morning, I opened up 100 e-mails," she said last week. "That's just in the morning. God knows what I get in the day."

One of the big topics for the Internet groups lately is Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse and its national policy that forbids employees to smoke anywhere on the premises, including in their own cars in the parking lot.

But Lowe's national spokeswoman, Chris Ahearn, said the new policy has worked very well.

She said there have been complaints but just as many comments from employees who like working in a smoke-free environment.

"We're not telling people to stop smoking," Ahearn said. "We're saying don't smoke on our property."

With staff reports by Scott Mayerowitz

DIGITAL EXTRA: To smoke -- in public -- or not to smoke? Cast your vote on the topic at:

http://projo.com/news/smokingpoll.htm


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; US: Rhode Island
KEYWORDS: addiction; antismokers; bans; butts; chimneypeople; cigarettes; drugaddicts; individualliberty; lawmakers; leatherskin; maine; nicoaddicts; niconazis; nicotineaddiction; professional; prohibitionists; propertyrights; pufflist; rottingteeth; smokingbans; stinkybreath; taxes; tobacco; worldismyashtray; yellowfingers
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To: SheLion
To me, it's a litter problem. A lot (alot) of smokers don't have the decency to put the butts out and put them in a proper receptacle. It's also a disgusting habit I finally gave up--well, two habits. I usually tried to dispose of the butts. As in, not add to the filth already on the ground.
I do pity smokers as they are addicted to a bad habit, but I have my own habits I need to concentrate on, so I don't bother smokers and they don't bother me, except for the litter.
41 posted on 04/05/2004 9:07:42 AM PDT by babaloo999 (Zionist troll since 2001)
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To: SheLion
Even before the government forced smokers outside, we had break rooms, or smoking rooms. We never had any "fires."

Not everyone is curtious and uses and ash tray or butt can. When my folks had a small bar and grill, they routinely had people that would put their cigarettes out ON THE FLOOR.

I was at a bar in a different town one evening and watched some guy put a cigarette out on the establishments carpeted floor. I grabbed an ash tray, gave it to the guy and told him what he did was rude and to use the ash tray. The bartender (owner's son), saw what I did and called me over to the bar and thanked me. He said they get plenty of customers that would put their cigarettes out on the floor and not listen when they wre asked to not do so. He said maybe they will listen to a fellow customer.

Somehow, I DOUBT IT!

42 posted on 04/05/2004 9:10:55 AM PDT by ET(end tyranny) (Isaiah 47:4 - Our Redeemer, YHWH of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel.)
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To: SheLion
Then you agree that these are "private property's?" Then you also believe that restaurants are also "private property's" and should be run the way the business owner decides, and not the state government?

Didn't I say as much in my first paragraph?

Ahhh. Wrong. I pay for my own insurance. Always have.

Your one anecdotal case is not the norm. Most companies pay, and pay a lot, for their employees health insurance.

Read my previous posts.

I have. It sounds like a lot of sophistry. The reality is that those people don't have too little to do, they just prioritize their smoke breaks above their job duties.

43 posted on 04/05/2004 9:11:16 AM PDT by tdadams (If there were no problems, politicians would have to invent them... wait, they already do.)
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To: Skooz
I agree completely. It is private property. The wishes of the property owner must be respected. I don't allow smoking in my home, and this is little different.

So, if this is a "private business" and not state owned, then you also agree that restaurants are "private businesses" and not state owned, therefore, the state should not FORCE smoking bans on the privately owned restaurant. Correct? It should be left up to the OWNER and not the state!

44 posted on 04/05/2004 9:12:09 AM PDT by SheLion (Curiosity killed the cat BUT satisfaction brought her back!!!)
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To: Skooz
Let me post this again:

I agree completely. It is private property. The wishes of the property owner must be respected. I don't allow smoking in my home, and this is little different.

45 posted on 04/05/2004 9:13:56 AM PDT by SheLion (Curiosity killed the cat BUT satisfaction brought her back!!!)
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To: SheLion
I'm a smoker, and all for private businesses determining what activities are allowed at the workplace. This also means I don't think the government should have any authority to regulate any legal activities in the private workplace.
46 posted on 04/05/2004 9:13:58 AM PDT by Mr. Bird (Ain't the beer cold!)
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To: LisaMalia
Is Lowes going to remove all vending machines from their break areas?

If they wish to do so, and are not prohibited from doing so by contract, certainly.

47 posted on 04/05/2004 9:15:37 AM PDT by steve-b
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To: SheLion
So, if this is a "private business" and not state owned, then you also agree that restaurants are "private businesses" and not state owned, therefore, the state should not FORCE smoking bans on the privately owned restaurant. Correct? It should be left up to the OWNER and not the state!

Uh. Yeah. Restaraunts are private property, as well.

48 posted on 04/05/2004 9:16:40 AM PDT by Skooz (My Biography: Psalm 40:1-3)
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To: dirtboy
Uh, it is private property, it's owned by someone other than the government.

EXACTLY! Just like RESTAURANTS/BARS and TAVERNS.

These stores have every right to do this. And you and I have every right to not work there, not shop there and/or encourage others to boycott the stores in question because of this policy.

EXACTLY! If a Restaurant/Bar or Tavern has a smoking section, then non-smokers do not have to GO THERE.  They can move on down the street to a less friendly Smoking  Restaurant/Bar or Tavern.  Correct?

49 posted on 04/05/2004 9:17:41 AM PDT by SheLion (Curiosity killed the cat BUT satisfaction brought her back!!!)
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To: SheLion
I guess I'll either never shop there again, or make sure that I stand outside their front door and smoke before I go in. Good Lord, I hate control freaks!
50 posted on 04/05/2004 9:20:25 AM PDT by badbass
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To: SheLion
EXACTLY! If a Restaurant/Bar or Tavern has a smoking section, then non-smokers do not have to GO THERE. They can move on down the street to a less friendly Smoking Restaurant/Bar or Tavern. Correct?

I disagree with state and local laws mandating that businesses be completely smoke free. Instead, let the marketplace deal with it. Have a business decide whether they want to have smoking on their premises or not. Let consumers decide with their wallets as to what is the best approach.

However, that's a completely different subject than a business deciding that they don't want their employees smoking anywhere on their premises. No government is involved there, and they are within their property rights to decide what activity they wish to allow on their property.

51 posted on 04/05/2004 9:21:10 AM PDT by dirtboy (John Kerry - Hillary without the fat ankles and the FBI files...)
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To: SheLion
Easy solution:

Chewing Tobacco/Pretty Brass Spittoon.

52 posted on 04/05/2004 9:21:50 AM PDT by Syncro
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To: Conspiracy Guy
Every waiter, waitress, host, hostess, and owner that I talked to said the same thing. "Smokers are better customers all around."

It just makes sense. We are relaxing with our friends and families, enjoying a good meal and our beverage. We love the surroundings and we hate to leave.

Therefore, we buy more, we tip better and we go back time and time again.

Now, you take away the smoking equations, and there is a very uncomfortable hole in this picture.

53 posted on 04/05/2004 9:22:35 AM PDT by SheLion (Curiosity killed the cat BUT satisfaction brought her back!!!)
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To: SheLion
Yep. Now I get in get out and seldom linger. I still tip well but instead of hanging around and spending more, I go.
54 posted on 04/05/2004 9:24:42 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (What?)
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To: ET(end tyranny)
Maybe Lowes will remove junk food machines. That would help.

Got to start SOMEWHERE! Here we have some future LOWE'S employees! heh!

But oh boy, they don't SMOKE! LOL!


55 posted on 04/05/2004 9:25:37 AM PDT by SheLion (Curiosity killed the cat BUT satisfaction brought her back!!!)
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To: LisaMalia
I'm not at work now. Are YOU?

Funny you should ask. Yes, I am. I don't take breaks, or even a lunch. I'm salaried and typically work from 8:30 until 6:30 M-F. When I'm running a simulation, I usually find myself with an hour or so a couple times a day where there is nothing to do but wait for the simulation to finish. So, I have no problems coming here, and wasting time.

What does that have to do with smokers taking breaks that non-smokes are forbidden from doing?

56 posted on 04/05/2004 9:25:55 AM PDT by Hodar (With Rights, comes Responsibilities. Don't assume one, without assuming the other.)
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To: ET(end tyranny)
I don't want to interfer in ANYONE's life.

I'm just saying, if you are making an anti-smoking argument for insurance purposes, then in all fairness, an anti-junk food policy should be in place as well.
57 posted on 04/05/2004 9:26:19 AM PDT by LisaMalia (In Memory of Sgt. James W. Lunsford..KIA 11-29-69 Binh Dinh S. Vietnam)
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To: tdadams
You and I, as non-employees, can smoke in our cars and walking through the parking lot at Lowes. We just can't smoke in their building.
:O)
58 posted on 04/05/2004 9:26:41 AM PDT by metesky ("Brethren, leave us go amongst them." Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton - Ward Bond- The Searchers)
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To: ET(end tyranny)
I was at a bar in a different town one evening and watched some guy put a cigarette out on the establishments carpeted floor. I grabbed an ash tray, gave it to the guy and told him what he did was rude and to use the ash tray. The bartender (owner's son), saw what I did and called me over to the bar and thanked me. He said they get plenty of customers that would put their cigarettes out on the floor and not listen when they wre asked to not do so. He said maybe they will listen to a fellow customer.

I've never met anyone this ignorant.

Even when I was younger, and we partied hard and hung around very drunk smokers, they always used their ashtrays.

59 posted on 04/05/2004 9:27:17 AM PDT by SheLion (Curiosity killed the cat BUT satisfaction brought her back!!!)
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To: babaloo999
I usually tried to dispose of the butts. As in, not add to the filth already on the ground.

Have you ever been in the military and learned how to "field strip" a cigarette? If your outside and there are no receptacles, then field strip the cigarette. No one will be the wiser.

60 posted on 04/05/2004 9:29:31 AM PDT by SheLion (Curiosity killed the cat BUT satisfaction brought her back!!!)
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