[borisbob69]

Typical false accusation about smokers wasting time on their many smoking breaks! Most of the smokers I know (myself included) take mini breaks to smoke vs the block breaks everyone else takes.

The 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon turns out to be three 5 minute breaks in each half of the day. If lunch is 60 minutes...some smokers will take 30 minutes and add a few extra smoke breaks throughout the day.

Either way...I'll challenge anyone to prove smokers are less productive than non-smokers. And, furthermore...I challenge the liberal lie that smokers cause such a tremendous impact/burden on the health care system because they choose to engage in a practice that is still legal!

[Skywalk]

Less productive as a whole? perhaps not. But in my rather varied experience in a number of workplace environments, many smokers took more than their allotted breaks to go have a smoke. Then again, I actually put effort into my work, however trivial, and not everyone(non-smokers included) does that, so perhaps I'm noticing a trend that stretches beyond the smoke/non-smoke debate.

[Junior]

One might make the claim that forcing the smoker outside is what causes lost productivity; when smokers were allowed to smoke at their desks they could smoke and work at the same time.

I'm not a smoker. I can't stand the smell of the stuff, but I also believe in individual rights and I see the government's crusade against smoking as a test case for protecting those rights.

I do like drinking -- a lot -- and I can already see the writing on the wall for alcohol use. I'll stand by my smoking brethren in an effort to protect my rights to tipple.

[krb]

If lunch is 60 minutes...some smokers will take 30 minutes and add a few extra smoke breaks throughout the day.

BS

[SheLion]

Either way...I'll challenge anyone to prove smokers are less productive than non-smokers. And, furthermore...I challenge the liberal lie that smokers cause such a tremendous impact/burden on the health care system because they choose to engage in a practice that is still legal!

AMEN BORISBOB! I, too, will challenge ANY Liberal telling ME that I, as a smoker, cost anyone ANY extra money! We have our own health insurance, thank you!