WEST PALM BEACH, FL--The Palm Beach County Tax Collector's Office will no longer hire smokers.
In order to be considered for a job, applicants will have to submit an affidavit stating they have not regularly used tobacco in the past 12 months. Current employees will have until July to kick the habit.
"Productivity issues, smokers tend to take more breaks and probably the primary issue is our health care costs," said Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon.
Terri Hall quit smoking six years ago. "People who want to quit will have a lot of support with each other and with ex-smokers," she said.
There's also something else new at the tax collector's office. Employee Terri Hall and 20 of her colleagues have started a six-month weight loss program.
