Westlake Police = No Smoking, On or Off Job

WKYC: The City of Westlake is looking for a few new police recruits, but there's one other big requirement: smokers need not apply. It's one tough, "on and off duty ban" that has special meaning, to one of the officers who created it. If you want to be a Westlake police officer you must be at least 21 years old, a citizen, a high school graduate and take a civil service test. You must also sign an agreement pledging not to smoke or use tobacco on or off the job. Just two of 51 Westlake officers are smokers, and they were grandfathered in before the ban started. Most officers think it is a way to stay fit and cut medical bills. (WKYC Video Here).

Too much? (The same law also applies to city firefighters). Or can Westlake tell their city employees how to act off the job? For a normal city worker (like an office worker in an administration building) I don't think there is any question this would cross the line. For a patrolman, yeah, I guess you could make an argument for this new regulation, though I still think it goes too far. What about for a police dispatcher? Watching the video, it seems like the police captain is really just trying to force his anti-smoking agenda on people. But whatever. Stories like this are just popping up more and more every day.
(This story was also discussed this morning on 1100AM on Bob Frantz).