Workplace smoking gets tougher, report says

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Some companies are taking a harder line against smoking in the workplace, according to a report published Thursday, with some firms going so far as to test job applicants for nicotine use.

Polling a number of employers nationwide, USA Today reported that anti-smoking policies are stiffer than just a decade ago.

L-3 Communications (Charts, Fortune 500) banned employees from smoking within 25 feet of the building at its Camden, N.J., offices last year, and has implemented a smoking cessation program. To date, 10 workers at the defense contractor have kicked the habit, according to the newspaper.

The closely-held software company SAS banned tobacco in all company buildings and vehicles, USA Today reported.

And the Cleveland Clinic, a non-profit medical center, said it will test potential employees for nicotine use before they are hired starting Sept. 1 as part of their standard health and wellness screening. To be hired, applicants must be nicotine free for two weeks, the paper reported.