Latest Excuse Not to Work

Secondhand smoke hysteria has reached a new milestone: The Consumerist reports that three Apple computer owners told the site they were denied repair service because Apple claimed that residues from cigarette smoke in their house created unsafe working conditions for Apple employees, and therefore voided the computers' warranties.

Thanks to the American Council on Science and Health for pointing out this absurdity. The ACSH folks are regular cigarette bashers, but they draw
the line about scientific ignorance about secondhand (or is this thirdhand) smoke:

“This has to do with nicotine being listed as a hazardous substance,” says ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross. “Obviously, the home of a smoker is going to have some kind of residue.”

“By this insane reasoning, every object in the world that has even been around cigarette smoke is too dangerous to touch,” says ACSH's Todd Seavey.

Apple hasn't publicly commented on this. But if that's company policy, will other companies soon copy it?

ACSH’s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan wonders, “Will TV repair people now complain that fixing the televisions of smokers poses a hazard to their health?