As reported in Human Resource Executive, the National Health Service, The U.K.’s publicly-funded healthcare system, will deny smokers some routine surgeries unless they agree to quit smoking for a month before the surgery. The move comes in response to research that shows that smokers take longer to recover from surgery than non-smokers. Whether or not insurers in the U.S. follow suit, some have already started charging smokers higher premiums, and the trend in the U.K. may have implications for how some U.S. employers address the issues raised by smokers in their companies.

Tags: Corporate Smoking Policies, National Health Service, Health Insurance, Health Issues Related To Smoking, Anti-Smoking Policies, No Smoking Announcements