A few days ago I heard someone tell tale of his brother, a shipyard worker, who picked up smoking when he got his job there so he could better hang out with co-workers on break.
Then I saw this in a quitting smoking column from Tony Evans, a writer for the Kingman Daily Miner in Kingman, Ariz.
“I started smoking at 17 when I got a summer job working at the Bremerton Naval Shipyard and continued to smoke – off and on – until 1989.”
So, shipyard workers and everyone else feel free to weigh in. Is the number of shipyard smokers higher than in the rest of America?
It would be fascinating to look at the health statistics of Shipyard workers from their insurance providers like KPS Healthplans and see if they had a signifigantly higher history of lung ailments and heart problems compared to other places.
Another thing is that the Washington State 25 foot smoking rule does not apply to Kitsap’s Naval bases.
Jake Metcalf: Although WA state laws may not be primary on the Navy’s bases, federal laws have been around for a number of years that prohibit smoking in buildings and near doorways. A summary of the current guidance for businesses may be found at http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/bookshelf-hiring-firing/HFCHP5_k.html.
For the miliary in the Navy, official policy has discouraged smoking FOR YEARS. Civilians fall under different rules.
The law may not apply but each base designates smoking areas that are often greater than 25 feet.
I asked my girlfriend who work at an insurance company and she said that an insurance provider can’t talk to a reporter about statistics like that but if you went to the American Cancer society they do have those statistics based on specific employer.
On the base that I work at.. (not shipyard) there are covered smoking areas with in 25 feet but it is not a major problem and they were around before the rule change.
When I was lobbing Rep Eikmeyer I followed him down to the “Nicotine Quarienten” tent and talked to him about our issues while he had a butt.
When I started work in the shipyard I smoked, on the job. Today, designated smoke areas make people leave the job to have a smoke. I can imagine that those who don’t smoke see smokers taking their smoke breaks while they are left to do the work. You should see what I have alluded to here.
paragraph 4.3 in the publication listed above shows that tobacco use is lowest in the states that also have a major shipbuilding and /or maintenance facility.
another interesting site explains potential for error is placing so much emphasis on minimal or light smoking.
see “http://www.forces.org/evidence/files/stats.htm”
Statistically, the US is much lower in smoking than Japan or Greece, yet has multiple time the incidence of lung cancer. The above site shows the relative levels of pollutants in our air, versus Japan or Greece. Multiple times the levels! Does that mean there is better correlation as a lung cancer cause?