Children’s hospital will no longer hire smokers

Smokers will no longer be hired by Arkansas Children’s Hospital, according to a new policy effective May 1.

The hospital’s Tobacco and Nicotine-Free Campus policy bans nicotine in all forms, including cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. E-cigarettes are also banned, as are smoking cessation aids, like nicotine gum and patches.

According to ArkansasOnline, current employees who smoke will not be impacted by the new policy, but hospital administrators will address those employees from an "education perspective."

Tobacco use is already banned on campus, but the new policy treats nicotine the same as illegal substances. Urine testing will be used to screen all applicants.

The smoking rate among hospital workers is between 8 percent and 12 percent, much lower than the state average of 27 percent.

Proponents claim that smoke-free workplaces help companies keep healthcare costs in check and help set a good example to the public.

But those against such policies claim they discriminate against prospective employees by focusing on legal personal habits, instead of a candidate’s qualifications.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital is not the first hospital to implement a smoke-free policy. In 2007, the Cleveland Clinic was one of the first medical facilities to ban smokers.