Toledo mayor wants the city to stop hiring smokers

The mayor of one of Ohio’s largest cities is considering a plan to stop hiring people who use tobacco and nicotine.

Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins tells The Blade newspaperthe plan isn’t a political maneuver but is good public policy that could save the city money on health care costs. He says the administrative policy will be written this month and won’t affect current city employees.

He noted that some private-sector employers, including the Toledo casino, have similar bans for new workers.

Some city council members expressed hesitation about the proposal. One says he supports a smoking ban but thinks not hiring smokers could eliminate talented people as potential job applicants. Another member questioned how much money might be saved and whether there would be unintended consequences.