In an attempt to save money on insurance, a city in South Florida has banned hiring employees who smoke or use tobacco products, causing some Americans to complain that the government is controlling too much of their personal life.
Delray Beach City Commissioners on Tuesday announced a policy that would help the financially struggling city save money – refusing to hire smokers. Each smoker costs a company or government agency an average $12,000 in health and disability-related costs.
Delray Beach officials say that the new policy would both save money and promote a healthier lifestyle.
The measure would rely on honesty from job applicants, who would be required to sign an affidavit swearing they have not smoked in 12 months. The policy resembles others already implemented in other South Florida cities.
“We just ask them that they not be smoking for a year prior to employment,” Hallandale Beach City Commissioner Alexander Lewy told NBC6. “We’re not Big Brother, so we don’t check up on our employees. We just encourage a healthy lifestyle.”
In the South Floridian city of Hollywood, employees caught smoking are instantly terminated from their positions.
In neighboring Broward County, the ban is not in place, but tobacco users are required to pay an additional $20 a month for their insurance. Since implementing the surcharge, the county has seen a 38 percent reduction in the number of employees who smoke.
Employees hired before Oct. 1 will be exempt from the new rules.
