Smoke Free Workplace

[seaspine]

So I went to apply for a job with Pinellas county FL,turns out they won't hire anyone that has smoked for the last 6 months,Well I been vaping for 7 months so I get the application and I find that they do a nicotine test to verify you are tobacco free.So if you need a job in FL don't apply here if you use nicotine patches,gum or vape.

[nana]

I know they can do what they want, but that just seems so wrong.

[ddavelarsen]

So really it's not a "smoke free" workplace, it's a "nicotine free" workplace. They need to get their nomenclature straight.

[FTJoe]

So I went to apply for a job with Pinellas county FL,turns out they won't hire anyone that has smoked for the last 6 months,Well I been vaping for 7 months so I get the application and I find that they do a nicotine test to verify you are tobacco free.So if you need a job in FL don't apply here if you use nicotine patches,gum or vape.

Sux - only way to tell...could you go zero nic for a couple of days?

[Gweetus]

hmm... seems less than effective to test for it. Nicotine is a fast acting drug, (hence the need for frequent re-dosing by addicted individuals, I.E. smoking or vaping or taking a dip) and clears out to untestable levels within a day or two at the most. The thing is that withdrawl symptoms can last for weeks beyond the body's lack of sufficient levels. Seems to me that it shouldn't be too hard to clear the system.

before I hit post I did a little google to check to make sure I wasn't posting un-informed, and found this:

From the NIH (National Institutes of Health)

"Nicotine is a short-acting drug that is eliminated from the body relatively quickly (i.e., within a day or so). However, the effects of acute nicotine withdrawal can be felt for as much as two weeks or more. In addition, the byproducts of nicotine can be detected in the blood for up to a month after you stop smoking. This is only of concern if you are in a situation where someone else might want to test you for the presence of nicotine or nicotine byproducts in your system."

I saw a few other things saying its testable up to 20 days for regular smokers and longer for heavy long term smokers, but I wonder if that's the nic or the byproduct... I wonder if there are any home test kits that test for nicotine and do a little experiment.

[Knight]

Sure seems like smokers are the one minority group that it is still OK to discriminate against. I hope vapors are not added to this group permanently.

[FTJoe]

hmm... seems less than effective to test for it.

Second drug tested test is cotinine? I see people saying they passed tests after four days and drinking a gallon of water a day...FWIW.

[Gweetus]

hmm... yup your right FTJoe. I shoulda done some more reasrch before posting like I knew what I was talking about. The "byproducts" are the metabolites that the nicotine breaks down into, cotinine is the most stable so it is one of the things the test check for, so it looks like trying to sneak past a nicotine test is harder than I thought.

D**n the man, you'd think they would be ok with letting people slide on vaping or NRT since its non-invasive and keeps them off the more dangerous tobacco products.

[FTJoe]

hmm... yup your right FTJoe. I shoulda done some more reasrch before posting like I knew what I was talking about. The "byproducts" are the metabolites that the nicotine breaks down into, cotinine is the most stable so it is one of the things the test check for, so it looks like trying to sneak past a nicotine test is harder than I thought.

D**n the man, you'd think they would be ok with letting people slide on vaping or NRT since its non-invasive and keeps them off the more dangerous tobacco products.

I just remember last time this came up in regards to life insurance premiums. Kind of stinks that such a healthy alternative to smoking is penalized the same. Not sure what they could really test for to distinguish the two though. As I said though,4 days and lots of water I see eople saying works. I know when I smoked though, no way I could go for 4 days without.

[Lee]

I just remember last time this came up in regards to life insurance premiums. Kind of stinks that such a healthy alternative to smoking is penalized the same. Not sure what they could really test for to distinguish the two though. As I said though,4 days and lots of water I see eople saying works. I know when I smoked though, no way I could go for 4 days without.

There's the rub! No way to identify the source of the nicotine. Kind of like standing too close to the doobie at a Greatful Dead concert and getting pulled for a random drug test at work the next day.

[Schizophretard]

There are ways around nicotine tests. I've heard of people using devices with other people's urine.

[FTJoe]

There are ways around nicotine tests. I've heard of people using devices with other people's urine.

Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode, Elaine, you have the metabolism of a 65 year old women!! Something like that...

[TeriJo]

Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode, Elaine, you have the metabolism of a 65 year old women!! Something like that...

Spose that's better than. . .

Joe, you are pregnant.

[FTJoe]

Spose that's better than. . .

Joe, you are pregnant.

LOL - I got good news and bad news in regards to the job and your condition, you decide which is which...

[jmhester]

WOW! This is getting really scary! I had no idea that these were now becoming job requirements. What's next? Are they going to start with weight requirements? I know the military has that, so why not the private sector? Pretty soon you are going to have to be a fitness model to get a damn job!

[TeriJo]

WOW! This is getting really scary! I had no idea that these were now becoming job requirements. What's next? Are they going to start with weight requirements? I know the military has that, so why not the private sector? Pretty soon you are going to have to be a fitness model to get a damn job!

Yes, it's amazing. I quite understand not wanting to hire someone who is going to come to work higher than a kite and not do a good job, or if they're operating dangerous equipment could actually harm OTHERS, but yeah they are going crazy.

Because they are allowed to. You shouldn't be able to tell someone they can't smoke at home or have a beer after work, but sure seems to be getting that way.

[seaspine]

I thought about going 0 nic,drinking allot of water,or using one of those detoxifing teas.But being a nurse I know they test the urine for spefic gravity.Too much water or the tea throws that off.They also give a polygraph test,so I doubt I could get by that.

Guess I'll just keep looking.

[FTJoe]

Yes, it's amazing. I quite understand not wanting to hire someone who is going to come to work higher than a kite and not do a good job, or if they're operating dangerous equipment could actually harm OTHERS, but yeah they are going crazy.

Because they are allowed to. You shouldn't be able to tell someone they can't smoke at home or have a beer after work, but sure seems to be getting that way.

In an employer's defense, if they pay or subsidize health insurance then I could see it for a new hire. Not sure if they can make it a condition of employment (in other words if you start smoking later). But yeah, a slippery slope as they could then dictate weight limits, staying in shape, etc. So I guess my point is you are correct they can't tell him that, but they also don't have to hire him either.

[ddavelarsen]

There's the rub! No way to identify the source of the nicotine. Kind of like standing too close to the doobie at a Greatful Dead concert and getting pulled for a random drug test at work the next day.

Uh-huh.

[TeriJo]

In an employer's defense, if they pay or subsidize health insurance then I could see it for a new hire. Not sure if they can make it a condition of employment (in other words if you start smoking later). But yeah, a slippery slope as they could then dictate weight limits, staying in shape, etc. So I guess my point is you are correct they can't tell him that, but they also don't have to hire him either.

This is also true. However so far, an employer does not HAVE to provide health insurance. Generally with health insurance and life insurance you can be made to pay a higher rate if you are a higher risk. Such as being a smoker or whatever.

My point wasn't that the employer should have no options, it was that what he is allowed to do is because we let them. The individual is independent, but not very powerful. The unions have too much power and very little concern for the worker, and the employer, usually, is just trying to run his business and maybe manage to make a profit. I don't think that a businessman making a profit is a bad thing, it's getting harder and harder to do LOL.

Anyway....I have one of them OPINIONS..... hehe just like everyone else. Besides, I'm an ornery old woman, I bet you noticed LOL

[FTJoe]

It was a job for a county...makes things even weirder. And I know better than to even go near the last line...except to say I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about!!

Edited March 17, 2010 by FTJoe

[TeriJo]

It was a job for a county...makes things even weirder. And I know better than to even go near the last line...except to say I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about!!

That's cuz you is SMAART! I knew you was!!!!

[nana]

Uh-huh.

I really wondered how long it would be before the Grateful Dead lover would reply to this statement. But ? Really Dave, wouldn't it be more like ? LOL

[nana]

It was a job for a county...makes things even weirder. And I know better than to even go near the last line...except to say I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about!!

Like I said before FTJoe, you are good. Very good!

[FTJoe]

Like I said before FTJoe, you are good. Very good!

Twenty five years of marriage. So who said a guy can't be trained, it just takes a little while. ;-)