They'll treat people who use tobacco, but they won't hire them.

A major Colorado health system has said that starting Jan. 1 it will not hire anyone who smokes or uses any tobacco product, including nicotine patches and gum.

Centura Health will enforce the ban by testing job applicants for tobacco use, The Denver Post reported Friday.

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"We wholeheartedly believe this is the right thing to do for our organization," Centura spokeswoman Wendi Dammann told the newspaper. "As the region's leading health-care system committed to improving the health of those we serve, it is important that we first serve as a role model for our communities by promoting the benefits of health and wellness."

The ban on tobacco use by new hires will not affect Centura Health's current workforce of 17,100 people, the Post noted.