this issue has always been on my mind... i decided to get into a health related field before i was a smoker, and now that im closer to my goal... well honestly if i cant smoke i dont want the job... i live in ohio btw. right now im taking a short adult program that lasts about 5 months to get cross trained as a phlebotomist and EKG (cardiographic technician) ... i dont really know much about the two fields yet, but im pretty sure they work i hospitals... i dont even know if they drug test when we start clinicals. :[ i used to be a state tested nursing assistant and smoking wasnt a problem back then because the nursing home i worked at only drug tested upon hiring, and if you got injured. they claimed to random drug test but they never did, to anyone, ever. and if you showed up positive for drugs, you could still keep your job if you went to counseling, (but then they would random drug test you twice for the next year before they leave you alone)
I assume if you're a certified technician they aren't going to subject you to random drug tests, I would only worry about one upon hiring. But I don't know much about jobs in the medical field..