Health Department Won't Hire Smokers

If you smoke or use tobacco then do not expect to ever get hired by the Central District Health Department. On Friday, the CDHD Board of Health voted unanimously to check for nicotine use on pre-employment screenings. Job candidates who test positively for nicotine will not be offered positions. The policy takes effect immediately and applies to all job openings at CDHD. The pre-employment screening is done through urine testing. Three years ago, the department made all of its three campuses in Boise, Mountain Home and McCall tobacco-free. For CDHD, officials say choosing to not hire tobacco users is a logical step in its effort to reduce tobacco use in Idaho. CDHD believes a non-smoking workforce is more productive and healthier. "We know that they (smokers) use more sick time and because they get ill more often they are driving up health care costs for the majority of people who don't use tobacco products," said Dave Fotsch, public information officer with CDHD. CDHD says the new employee screening process is supported by research. A 2004 Surgeon General report says tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. CDHD is the first agency in the state to test for nicotine in job screenings. Current employees will not be screened for nicotine. The policy only impacts new hires. However, the department offers classes to smoking employees to help them quit. CDHD says the screening is sensitive enough to tell if a job candidate was the one smoking or if they were just around people smoking.