Kitzhaber bans smoking on state office grounds
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Gov. John Kitzhaber is making life tougher on state workers who smoke.
Kitzhaber signed an executive order Thursday banning tobacco use on all property surrounding state offices. It's already illegal to smoke inside most Oregon workplaces, including private jobsites.
The governor says tobacco use by state workers costs taxpayers millions in higher health care costs. And he says he wants to protect employees, clients and visitors from exposure to second-hand smoke.
The ban doesn't apply to college campuses or to places meant for the public, like state parks. But Kitzhaber is asking various governing boards to ban or restrict tobacco in those places, too.
The order takes effect at most state worksites by the middle of next year, although prisons will have until the end of 2014.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Once again Gov, you are wrong. Smokers do NOT cost millions in health care costs according to PEBB. Obesity cost way more then smokers. Now, take into account what smokers pay in taxes, you are as wrong as you have been since you took office. Where are you going to get the money you waste if everyone stopped smoking? You are cutting off your head to cover your tail.
I am not a smoker. Never have been and never will be.
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That being said government is out of control. New York CIty is planning a ban on pop over 16 ozs.
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Thankfully it will all come to an end once the money runs out and government has to focus law enforcement on real issues instead of sending a police car to give someone a citation for smoking.
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Kitzhaber has a problem on his hands. If cigarette sales go down there will be $248,000,000 less tax dollars to fund his medical program. That is a sizable chunk of revenue he won't be able to spend.
I think that, despite the temporary indulgence granted the DOC, watching the guards at prisons in Pendleton and Ontario adhere to this will be highly amusing. Quite often, they make noise about not really being subject to Salem, since they're so far out in the sticks. However, in this case, they'll have lots of help quitting tobacco: any convict that sees them do so will report it because: A) They hate the guards, and B) They're still mad that they don't get to smoke/chew in there.
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Depending on what sort of fines will be imposed, this might be the one time we see the Department of Corrections actually give money BACK to Salem.
If you add up all of the trips outside smokers get alot more than a fifteen minute break!
 @Mr. Limpet And more exercise than the pig who waddles from her cubicle to the microwave and back.
Finally...It costs in the fact that many public employees take more breaks than they are supposed to, to go outside to smoke...And some are brazen enough to go into the restrooms for a "quick" one, thereby also using more time for breaks than those that do not smoke.
 @Mazda84 C'mon just how much work does the average state worker do?  Most of the time their just dreaming on how much PERS they are going to get.
Kitznobber has been a chronic smoker for years----of pole
Another  silly law by a liberal who wants to control every little thing we do.
@sortbait
it actually makes more sense than you realize but then you wouldn't know that, would you ?
@Mazda84 Kitz obviously did zero research on second hand smoke. Once again just shoving his beliefs down the citizen's throat.
Good idea. Smokers cost all of us with spiraling healthcare costs due to their addiction. If you can't drink booze, or smoke your medical pot on property that is part of State offices, then why should you be able to smoke cigarettes there? Smokers never seem to keep their smoke to themselves, anyway. Always inconsiderately hanging as close to building doors as they can, puffing away where it wafts inside and into everyone's faces as they enter or exit.
People are dying in the streets, homeless is getting worse, more and more people are finding it difficult to: find work, eat, get and keep jobs. Â
Gov. K, what are you going to do to help fix all these problems?
"Uh, I dunno - maybe ban smoking in State offices".
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Thanks Kitzhaber. Â It's because of stupid dimwitted Dems like you that I ran fast and furiously away from the party with the "D"s by their name.
@ThePosterFormerlyKnownAsPhredE
He is working on thos eprob as much as his authority dictates.Smoking makes others sick.smoking costs in employees taking more breaks than allocated.It's not a party issue but a health one but you wouldn't know that, would you ?
This criticism is so narrow minded. Itâs simply shows that rather than think things through you just criticize every action governor takes.
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He canât concentrate on any one issue to the detriment of all other issues that affect the people of the state. The governor is in charge, but it is not a one person show. Dozens of people work directly for him. Some are hired to look at jobs with a laser focus, other are there to look at heath care with the same laser focus, and on down the line. Those advisors present possible courses of action and the Governor decides on the final official policy.
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There are plenty of thoughtful debates that can be had about any elected officials policies so think it through. Simply picking the biggest fire and throwing everything at it just allows the smaller fires to get just as big.