Arizona County Weighs Hiring Ban on Smokers for Government Jobs

One Arizona county may be closing its doors on smokers today.

Pima County, home of Tucson, is voting on a proposal that bans county offices from hiring smokers and hits current employees who smoke with a 30 percent increase in their health insurance premiums.

One critic says it’s a “slippery slope” that could lead to hiring restrictions on people who are obese or have hereditary medical problems.

County health officials say the measure could save more than $1 million in annual health care costs, but many are uneasy about the precedent the measure could set.

Michael Siegel, a Boston University public health professor who advocates smoke-free workplaces, told the Arizona Star that the ban is a “slippery slope.” He said it gives employers justification for placing restrictions on hiring people who are obese or have hereditary medical problems, as their health care costs are also more expensive.

Siegel is also concerned with the county becoming involved in an employee’s decision to smoke on their own time, calling the ban a form of “employee discrimination.”

“Discrimination is essentially making employment decisions based on a group to which someone belongs rather than their qualifications for the job,” he said.

While the proposal would not subject employees to random nicotine tests, it does give supervisors the latitude to do so if violations are suspected.

“We’re going to use reasonable suspicion,” Human Resources Director Allyn Bulzomi told the Arizona Star. “If there is reasonable suspicion we will have a conversation and probably use a test.”

Employment experts predict this case will not be the first of its kind, according to Fox 17. As the cost of health care continues to increase, bans such as this could become more frequent as states and cities attempt to cut costs.