Missouri Fire/EMS District Bans Employee Smoking

Corky said:
USAF, your mistaking representing and serving their countries.

These soldiers are putting their lives on the line serving our country and fighting for individual freedoms. Only to have someone arrogant enough to even suggest TAKING AWAY one of there own personal freedoms they are trying to defend. You know, so what if it cost that much to provide healthcare to our soldiers they are worth every penny. America is in the business of war and 846 million is nothing but a drop in the military budget bucket. If they want to look at saving on some of the actual wasteful spending how about looking into some of the contracts with the vendors. Until then our government need to stay out of personal lives and decisions

As a matter of fact why dont they ban alcohol for soldiers? And in the country for matter. Im on my phone or would google some stats, but alcohol related healthcare and deaths are at least as much if not more then tobacco related costs. Why you ask? Because we are a country of hypocrites and know that it's going to happen anyways so the government keeps it legal simply to keep it taxed for a steady source of revenue.
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I agree with you on the alcohol ban. It is a dangerous drink and kills many and doesn't do to much good although they tried that before and it didn't go so well.
 
re

Dont get me wrong here, as i know smoking is bad for everyones health. As an American i DONT need my government or anyone else to decide it for me, it is an individual choice that our forefathers died defending. It's called the right to personal freedom and if you are not fighting to defend it then maybe you should get off your high horses and take a look at the big picture of what being an American means.
 
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I used to smoke. I loved smoking. Didn't really want to quit. I always knew, of course, that I would if I had a good enough reason to. Then I was informed that I was surgically missing my L3 because my neurosurgeon took it out in pieces; about 8 of them I think. Did you know that nicotine impedes bone growth? Most people couldn't care less. I was one of them. Until it was my bone whose growth was being impeded; a major load baring vertebrae. I can't be on disability and hooked on oxycontin. I'm not even 40 yet. I will not be defeated. So I quit. Glad I did. I am now hooked on working out. I live at the gym. The endorphin rush from living life is more fun to be addicted to than any nicotine or alcohol or any other chemical out there.

Just my thoughts.
 
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Vent, you seem to think my opinon is based on poor educaton. Im quite aware of the health concerns. It's not my point at all and i am not advocating smoking to anybody. What i am advocating is an Americans right to personal freedom and choice, which the original story is trying to supress.
 
Corky said:
Dont get me wrong here, as i know smoking is bad for everyones health. As an American i DONT need my government or anyone else to decide it for me, it is an individual choice that our forefathers died defending. It's called the right to personal freedom and if you are not fighting to defend it then maybe you should get off your high horses and take a look at the big picture of what being an American means.
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High horse? I am a health care professional.

How many of those BS calls you get for SOB by the same people are veterans? I would probably say many of them are. Yet, you still encourage smoking and probably still complain everytime you see one of these patients. Even those in the medical profession that do smoke would NOT advise anyone to continue smoking especially if they had the opportunity or some motivating factor to quit.

There was a recent thread about obese patient and EMS. Many in EMS can not understand how people could let themselves get that fat. Some are directly related to physiological causes and some of it is from lack of will power. Why do those in EMS criticize the obese and still are advocates for smoking?

Part of being a health professional is the ability to be an advocate for good health and healthy habits. Even while you yourself are struggling with your own addictions, you must still teach others. Someday you might even take your own advice.
 
This thread is reopened provided everyone can remain on topic and civil about it.
 
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I just quit smoking, less then a year.

I dont like the idea of an employer trying to control what I do with my off time. Smoking, drinking or skydiving its my choice.

If you want to forbid me to smoke on duty thats fine. However if I choose to smoke off duty I should be able to.
 
CAOX3 said:
I just quit smoking, less then a year.

I dont like the idea of an employer trying to control what I do with my off time. Smoking, drinking or skydiving its my choice.

If you want to forbid me to smoke on duty thats fine. However if I choose to smoke off duty I should be able to.
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Then the employer should be able to deny you either insurance or employment, yes you have a choice. Why should they pay extra premiums to cover your poor habits that has been proven (and you are quite aware of) to prmote illness and death?

This should not even be a debate among or from health care providers.

R/r 911
 
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Ridryder911 said:
Then the employer should be able to deny you either insurance or employment, yes you have a choice. Why should they pay extra premiums to cover your poor habits that has been proven (and you are quite aware of) to prmote illness and death?
R/r 911
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Exactly. In agreement 100%
 
How can anyone afford to smoke? They are like six dollars a pack here!
 
How can anyone afford to drink? A 12 pack of beer is around $10.00 and they drink it faster then I can smoke a pack of cigarettes.
 
Alcohol (in moderation) has proven medical benefits.


Smoking does not.
 
Wine have proven benefit. I have never seen a study that shows beer having a medical benefit!
 
Point stands ^_^



You can drink alcohol in moderation. It's impossible to inhale a toxic, poisonous substance in moderation.
 
reaper said:
How can anyone afford to drink? A 12 pack of beer is around $10.00 and they drink it faster then I can smoke a pack of cigarettes.
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I couldn't tell you, I don't drink! Beer and cigs... god is it a wonder people are in so much debt?
 
reaper said:
Wine have proven benefit. I have never seen a study that shows beer having a medical benefit!
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and you can get the same benefits from red grapes!
 
I have never seen a study that shows beer having a medical benefit!
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Not a reader of the New England Journal of Medicine, eh? I believe in 1999....December or so, if memory serves, there was an article citing a 20% decrease in the risk of stroke associated with light to moderate consumption of beer.

There are also studies linking moderate beer consumption to increases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good cholesterol) and decreases in homocysteine levels (elevated levels may predispose to coronary events) as a result of the significant levels of vitamin B6 found in many beers. Wines are actually associated with slight increases in homocysteine levels but the risk likely offset by the other positive effects of wine consumption.

There are also studies out of one of the major heart centers in Dallas (I don't recall which one though) citing a significant decrease in coronary atherosclerotic disease among beer drinkers. This was attributed to being a result of unfiltered beer having similar similiar levels of polyphenols as red wine and several times the level seen in white wine.
 
and you can get the same benefits from red grapes!
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At a higher price. You get two or three glasses out of a standard wine bottle. A good bottle of wine will set you back around $15. Then again, a six pack of good beer will set you back about the same.
 
I'm a non smoker. Here in the NWT a pack of cigarettes costs nearly 15.00 CDN after using an online currency converter it's 13.20 US.
 
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