The University of Pennsylvania Health System, a large teaching hospital system, has announced a new policy under which it will refuse to hire anyone who smokes. Set to go into effect on July 1, the plan will involve asking every new hire whether he or she smokes as part of the interview process. Those caught lying after being hired would face disciplinary action that could include termination.

The policy may seem like a radical new step, but the first policy of this kind was implemented back in 2007, and a number of other hospital systems have followed suit. Penn notes that a federal appeals court ruled in 1987 that smokers are not a protected class, although 29 states have laws on the books that prevent hiring decisions from being made based on whether an applicant smokes. One of those 29 is right across the Delaware River in New Jersey, where Penn has some facilities that will not be able to implement the policy.

Aside from the obvious reason—an organization dedicated to health really should not provide a welcoming environment for the single-largest cause of preventable deaths in the US—the policy statement notes that employees who smoke rack up an average of over $3,000 in extra health care costs per year. Smoking breaks are also disruptive and "subject patients/colleagues to the unpleasant smell of smoke on employees' scrubs and clothing."

Although the Penn announcement states the organization has "no specific plans to restrict employment for other conditions," it notes that it is committed to the health and safety of its employees, which would seem to open the door to further measures in the future.