"Fat Tax" Weighs Down State Workers

Seems there's a tax for everything now in North Carolina. The state is going to tax state workers who are obese and those who smoke cigarettes. The move is to offset rising health care costs and because the state is short on money in the budget.

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The health plan covers more than 600,000 state employees, retirees and teachers at a cost of 2.6 billion. State officials have yet to determine any potential savings from the obesity requirement. But, the higher cost for smokers could save 13 million in next year's budget.

Also Read: Overweight Workers to Pay More for Health Care

It's also a move to get people healthy. According to Anne Rogers, Director for integrated health management with NC State Employees Health Plan, "Tobacco use and poor nutrition and inactivity are the leading causes of preventable deaths in our state. We need a healthy workforce in this state. We're trying to encourage individuals to adopt healthy lifestyles." "I agree that people if they smoke should be taxed more for health care purposes," said Anne Smith from New York who supports the tax.

Critics disagree. The State Employees Association of North Carolina opposes the tobacco and obesity requirement, calling it an invasion of privacy. "This economy is not conducive to an environment to where you additional taxes and to have something like this and try and change somebody's lifestyle at this point in time.. the timing is just off," said Jennifer Hardman.

There are 14,000 workers in Mecklenburg County that potentially could be affected. Alabama is the only other state to impose such a tax.