Drug testing of employees

[dimpy.handa]

How do you classify nicotine? Is nicotine from cigarettes and other tobacco products a drug?

A hospital in Tennessee has decided their mandatory drug screening of all future employees will include testing for nicotine. They also clearly state those that use nicotine gum or patches may be rejected.

After cruising around I couldn't come across other businesses going this far with testing and hiring nicotine free employees. Is it the businesses decision to decide who they hire according to ones health, or is this discrimination with taking it too far? Will this open the door for more companies to decide who they choose to hire according to perhaps a potential employees weight or age more so than they do now?

 

[swatiraohnlu]

In one federal case, the Tenth Circuit rejected a challenge to a policy that required employees to disclose their prescription drug use at the time of a drug test for illegal drugs. The company said it was necessary to assure the accuracy of the drug test. The court ruled that since the information was not disclosed to others, it represented an "insignificant" invasion of privacy.