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No More Smoke Breaks?

By Diana Lucio Reporter

No smoking at work, could happen soon in one Gulf Coast County, if a proposal has its way. No More Smoke Breaks?

Published: Fri, July 18, 2008 - 9:09 pm Last Updated: Fri, July 18, 2008 - 9:18 pm

Diana Lucio

Most folks know that getting a county job means you're in good hands. "We don't tend to lose a lot of workforce, people just grow old with us. You get a job with the county and you never leave,"Said District 1 Escambia County Commissioner Mike Whitehead. But while the economy is changing, the Escambia County Commission says, so is the way they plan to run their workforce. "We're facing like every other major organization huge increases in our insurance expenses for our employees. and what we've come across, and it's something that a lot of companies are doing we're going to a smoke free campus, you're not going to be able to smoke in or around the county building, if you're an employee," Said Whitehead. But the ban comes with incentives. "Any employee that agrees to random testing we'll give them a five percent discount on their health insurance premiums. And the logic there is if you're leading a healthy lifestyle, you shouldn't have to subsidize people who aren't,"Said the District 1 County Commissioner.
Jim Howes manages the recycling department with the county. He says although he quit smoking years ago, he supports the smoking ban. "I feel for the smokers, they're going to need to deal with the change, because this is a policy that's happening nationwide. I mean it's something we're all going to have to get used to,"Said Howes. While Howes' co-worker Ronny Johnson says he isn't sold on the idea. "That might be a little bit much right there you know, if people want to smoke at home they should be able to,"Said Johnson.

Escambia County Commissioner Mike Whitehead says the Board of Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of a preliminary proposal yesterday.
The board will decide next Thursday if they plan to approve the smoking ban. But if it is, Commissioner Whitehead says it will go into effect October 1st.

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KxVx Says:

Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 8:49 am

Does this mean all the cops I see riding around smoking in their squad cars are going to be enforcing this law?

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glamblitz Says:

Sat, Jul 19, 2008 at 6:09 pm

Goverment Control!! All this is is Rich people wanting to control everything we do. I don’t smoke but, if someone is doing it outside away from non-smokers who cares??? The goverment is going to take away as much freedom away as we let them. Someone needs to put their foot down!!

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net_50 Says:

Sat, Jul 19, 2008 at 4:32 pm

Smokers are tax payers too. Alabama collected money from the tobacca companies, and I haven’t seen them dishing that back out to the smokers to pay for patches, or gum, or even give them the cash that was intended for the people in the case.
Stop telling us what to do or pay us that money. Our state said nothing while the tobacca companies were slipping extras into the tobacca, none of us were told about it, until forty years after the fact. Our generation was totally addicted. I don’t see any state insisting on a cigarette that backs off the addictive ingredients a little at the time until a smoker can stop smoking without going insane.

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rosepetal Says:

Sat, Jul 19, 2008 at 11:47 am

i would ask for a rebate on my taxes, smokers pay more taxes than anyone. people blame 2nd hand smoke and think nothing of the other hazards in the air everyday. cigarette smokers are the ones paying for the unisured plus having to pay out of pocket for their own insurance. i am sick of the cigarette police. the government would choke if people stopped smoking. christopher reeves wife did not smoke and what did she die of.

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Wait4Me Says:

Sat, Jul 19, 2008 at 8:45 am

I smoke, but I agree with the counties proposal. If the tax payers are paying your income, should we not be able to get some tax breaks for you quitting and saving the COUNTY TAXPAYERS money on healthcare? If you still smoke and want to pay higher healthcare costs, well thats up to you, but if you quit and the county can save money versus raising taxes, I am all for it. I work for a private company, but if they made it no smoking in or around the buildings I would go with it to keep my job. Great idea if the taxpayers see some relief from it.

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Mom2AngelBaby Says:

Sat, Jul 19, 2008 at 7:20 am

This is just ridiculous! I pay an extra $20 a month on my health insurance since my husband and I are both smokers. Noone pays the fee but me! Sad when were being told we can’t smoke. Next thing you know they’ll be telling us to take a #### before we come to work so we don’t stink up the bathroom. I think the U.S. is slowing becoming a not so F R E E country!

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