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· South Carolina
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SC public workers who smoke, chew tobacco to pay $25 more a month in health care premiums
Jump to full article: AP, 2008-08-14
Author: Seanna Adcox, Associated Press Writer
Intro: Tens of thousands of South Carolina public employees and their family members who smoke or chew tobacco will pay an additional $25 a month for their state health insurance starting in 2010.
With a 3-2 vote Thursday, state budget officials made South Carolina the eighth state nationwide to charge state employees more if they or their spouses light up.
Gov. Mark Sanford called it a "small but meaningful step" toward making people responsible for endangering their own health.
"It's a case of recognizing cost," he said. He added, "People ought to have complete freedom on how they treat their body," but said nonsmokers shouldn't have to pay for their co-workers' bad health care decisions.
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