Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins and The Smoking Gun

This just in from Toledo, Ohio:

Smokers need not apply.

That could be a sign at Toledo government offices with Mayor D. Michael Collins’ signature if he moves forward with a plan to prohibit the hiring of tobacco and nicotine users.

“This is good public policy, and it’s not driven by anything political,” Mayor Collins said on Monday.

Read the entire article "Toledo may go smoke free in its hiring policy" courtesy of The Blade.

Okay, so Mayor Collins thinks the City of Toledo may save money on the costs of health care benefits - I get that; I understand. 

HOWEVER, 

I cannot help but wonder why that same reasoning is not applied to prohibit the hiring of people who consume alcoholic beverages, as I wrote over on Twitter.

I recently read an article that stated, in part, ".... employees who drink a lot are often absent from work, suffer from a lot of health problems, and are at a greater risk of harming themselves and others."

If you go to the following embedded link, you may read the entire article "Alcohol and the Workplace" courtesy of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

Hey, now go on over to read the following embedded article:

Link Between Alcohol Consumption, Work Absence

Another interesting article that I suggest you read is 22. Alcohol and the Workplace from the International Center for Alcohol Policies. 

Now then, I am not really advocating a "no hire" policy on people who drink alcoholic beverages.

HOWEVER, 

I am wondering why Mayor Collins would use the rationale of cost savings in regards to a "no hire" policy of people who smoke but not in regards to alcohol users or to obese people or to any other number of groupings of people who may have the effect of adverse increased health care and related costs to the City of Toledo.