Throughout my working years, I've noticed how smokers are more likely to be less productive then the non-smoking workers. And I won't go into details about my previous jobs for fear of boring you, but will tell you about how things are where I work.

In my company, everyone is given at least 2 10 min breaks within a 8 hour work period plus we get a hour for lunch. Smokers have a desginated "smoke room" they go to to smoke on a floor directly below my companies. (And yes, it's within the smoking ordinances of my city b/c it's not connected directly to my building.) Anyhow, employees are to clock out for each smoke break and we have a program on our computers that show who is in and who's out, and if on break, etc.. Well, what many of the smokers do is take not just the 2 10 min breaks, but also take 2,3,4, or even more breaks ontop of the 2 they are allowed. Additionally, they don't clock out.. So no telling how long they stay in the smoke room. And if you estimate that each smoker takes an extra 20 minutes a day to smoke over the allowed break times, that equates to 86.68 work hours WASTED on their stupid habit. And thats just for what they took over the allowed (2) 10 min smoke breaks...

In another instance, I know a restaraunt owner who has banned his employees from smoking b/c he was tired of having to do their jobs while they sat on their butts taking smoke breaks all the time and not taking care of customers. If they aren't on their lunch break, they are not allowed to smoke period.. Needless to say, things are a lot more productive for my friend's restaraunt.

In conclusion, smokers are a burden on most businesses on the grounds of productivity b/c of the time taken to participate in the habit. Sooner or later, I suspect smoking will be totally banned from any public place everywhere in the US.

Tootles.