TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

County Weighs Options Against Tobacco Use

ADVERTISEMENT

By JULIA FERRANTE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 10, 2008

DADE CITY - A health department representative is slated to discuss smoking-cessation programs for Pasco employees at a county commission meeting today.

The primer from the state agency's local branch comes after a discussion two weeks ago about the possibility of creating a tobacco-free employee workplace.

County Commissioner Michael Cox suggested Pasco change its hiring policy and hire only nonsmokers. Those who work for the county already could be offered incentives for quitting tobacco use. The proposed policy change is intended to save on health insurance costs at a time when property tax revenue is declining and commissioners are looking at every possibility to save money.

"Our health department runs programs to help people quit smoking," Cox said. "And it's free. Right now, if it's free, it's for me."

Lisa Sloan, a tobacco-prevention specialist with the Pasco County Health Department, is scheduled to address the commission at a 10 a.m. meeting at the historical Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave.

Excluding smokers from the applicant pool is allowed by law. A 1995 Florida Supreme Court ruling in city of North Miami v. Kurtz held that there is no expectation of privacy in smoking cigarettes, and therefore it is not a violation of a right to privacy when a public employer refuses to hire someone who smokes.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office implemented a tobacco-free worker policy in January 2005, and firefighters statewide must sign a pledge saying they have not smoked for at least a year. Employees hired before then are exempt from the policy, although no one is allowed to smoke or use tobacco products in department buildings or vehicles.

As part of its contract signed with Blue Cross and Blue Shield this fiscal year, the sheriff's office will receive 30 percent of any underwriting gains.

Sarasota County enacted a smoke-free worker policy May 19, requiring prospective employees to sign a form saying they have not used tobacco products for at least a year. Applicants must agree to a nicotine screening, and a positive test result disqualifies them from consideration.

Sarasota estimates it can save $3,300 for each nonsmoking employee it hires versus a worker who smokes, officials from that county have said.

In Manatee County, which is self-insured, employees are offered a tiered health plan, with nonsmoking employees who follow prescribed health screenings receiving the best health benefits. This year, 93 percent of the county's 3,500 employees are in the "best" plan, benefits administrator Bob Goodman has said.

Smokers may become eligible for the best plan if they take a smoking-cessation class and undergo age-based screenings, such as yearly mammograms for women and prostate cancer screenings for men.

For the first time this year, employees who elected the best plan had to undergo blood tests to confirm they were nonsmokers, Goodman said. The tests showed evidence of tobacco use in less than 1 percent of the 3,000 employees in the best plan.

Reporter Julia Ferrante can be reached at (813) 948-4220 or jferrante@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT