Hiring Smokers Banned In South Florida City

Penurious Penguin writes "On October 2, City Commissioners of Delray Beach finalized a policy which prohibits agencies from hiring employees who use tobacco products. Delray Beach isn't alone though; other Florida cities such as Hollywood and Hallandale Beach, require prospective employees to sign affidavits declaring themselves tobacco-free for 12 months prior to the date of application. Throughout the states, both government and businesses are moving to ban tobacco-use beyond working hours. Many medical facilities, e.g. hospitals, have implemented or intend to implement similar policies. In some more-aggressive environments referred to as nicotine-free, employee urine-samples can be taken and tested for any presence of nicotine, not excluding that from gum or patches. Employees testing positive can be terminated. Times do change, and adaptation is often a necessary burden. But have they changed so much that we'd now postpone the Manhattan project for 12 months because Oppenheimer had toked his pipe? Would we confine our vision to the Milky Way or snub the 1373 Cincinnati because Hubble smoked his? Would we shun relativity, or shelve the works of Tolkien because he and C. S. Lewis had done the same? If so, then where will it stop?"

Comments

Re:Where will it end?

[rockout]

Wow, it took 7 whole minutes for a fallacious slippery-slope comment to appear. It used to take a lot less; you must be slipping.

But hiring African Americans is legal?

[G3ckoG33k]

Yes, hiring African Americans is legal. And Muslim Americans. And Jewish Americans. And lesbian Americans. And gay Americans. And drinking Americans. And eating Americans. But, not smoking Americans?

Re:Easy answer

[narcc]

That's not how freedom works.