Tribune Company Will Charge Smokers $100 a Month

Michael Mayo of the Sun-Sentinel wonders what's next: Will there be fees for alcohol use? Eating fast food? Having high cholesterol? Not adhering to proper weight/body mass guidelines?

Big Brother is watching...........


http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/mayo/blog/2007/10/mokers_pay_the_price.html

 

This is pretty common these days in all types of industries, though $100 a month may be steeper than most. I would guess $50 a month is pretty standard.

 

This includes if anybody in your family under the health insurance smokes. How are they going to go about smoking out the puffing family members?

 

They don't have to. But they can tell if you smoke just by the color of your blood when they draw blood.

When you you go in for emphysema or lung cancer and have your claim denied, that's when it hits.

 

They are also imposing a $75/month surcharge if your spouse is on your plan, but has health insurance available from his/her place of employment.

So if you're some schmoe on the loading dock whose wife works at Wal-Mart (which has expensive, crappy insurance), say goodbye to $900 a year.

 

If you're willing to pay $4 a pack for smokes every day then you should be willing to pay another $100 for health coverage.

I have no sympathy.

 

Again, pretty standard. If this is the first year the Trib has done this, consider yourself lucky.

 

But if you feed your habit by picking the butts out of the ashtray, Mizzou will shed a tear for you.

 

Better than being fired like some company in Michigan (I forget the name) is doing to smokers.

 

They ought to charge $200. And $20 a pack.

 

I question what is the company doing about helping those addicted to tobacco? Are they sponsoring programs, seminars, etc. To flat out charge someone for smoking is pretty fucked up. No if, and or butts about it.
Another reason why morale at that place is sinking faster than the Titantic.

 

Read the link, boots.