Obama’s Personal Health Care Reform
Health care reform is a favorite subject of Barack Obama. It’s still said that this reform is high on his list of things to accomplish early in his administration. The state of the economy makes reform more difficult, but America’s appetite for health care reform seems to be at an all time high.
Obama has a personal health care reform problem. He’s a smoker. He’s stopped before but fallen off the wagon. He chews nicotine gum and uses the nicotine patch to retard his smoking addiction. He’s promised to obey the White House’s no-smoking rules, which, like the handbook policies of most employers, require employees to go outside to smoke.
Some experts say nicotine is the most strongly addictive drug there is — harder to give up than cocaine or heroin. Like all drugs, it alters the brain with long-lasting effects, particularly when someone starts smoking at a young age.
Being a former smoker myself and still prone to smoke an occasional cigar, I sympathize with the President-elect. But he’s about to become the President and urge health care reform. Since smoking is a cause of various health problems, preventing young people (a demographic enamored with Obama) from ever beginning is essential to reducing the number of smokers from the present 21% of all Americans, and being able to look people in the eyes and talk straight about health care is critical to dramatically changing the system, Obama needs to quit.
If he doesn’t, he’ll be like the CEO or the VP of Human Resources or any manager or supervisor who makes a pathetic stop-smoking speech at the beginning of an employee wellness program and then sneaks out to deeply inhale while the outside consultant talks about how much smoking is costing the company and harming employee health.
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About Chris Parker
Chris Parker's practice focuses on the representation and counseling of companies in matters pertaining to the workplace and the protection of their intellectual property and trade secrets. In addition to serving as an advocate for clients, Mr. Parker is also trained as a mediator and frequently serves as a third-party neutral.
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About Jimmy Daniel
Jimmy Daniel provides counseling to businesses of all sizes related to the employment relationship. He assists in the drafting of employment agreements, policies, and handbooks, as well as provides guidance related to compliance with federal, state, and local legislation such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
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About Larry Bridgesmith
While serving in an Of Counsel relationship with the firm, Mr. Bridgesmith also serves as the Executive Director at the Institute for Conflict Resolution at Lipscomb University and as an officer and principal in Strategic Resolutions Group, LLC. In these roles, Mr. Bridgesmith brings over 30 years of legal experience in dispute resolution and innovative workplace strategies to clients, students and business entities alike.
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Now there is talk of 3rd hand smoke and its dangers. He is looked upon as the hope of the future and will be the most powerful leader on earth. Yes, he really does need to stop smoking.
Glad you’re on board.