Jan 22: Dr. Arthur Caplan, Is it Ethical for Medical Institutions to Impose a Prohibition on Tobacco and Alcohol on Patients?

Mexico outlaws smoking outside a family home (that includes open air venues and beaches). - This week it was recommended warning labels be affixed to all alcohol containers in Canada.With healthcare under massive stress and with smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol contributing to serious and negative health outcomes is it ethical for medical institutions (and individual doctors) to impose a prohibition on tobacco and alcohol use in order to obtain expensive and challenging surgeries? Abstaining from alcohol for six months prior to being eligible for liver transplantation was the regulation previously in Canada (is no longer). - In the U.K. hospitals and individual doctors/surgeons have refused to perform difficult and expensive surgeries (heart bypass/transplants) and orthopedic procedures on smokers who refused to quit. - In the U.S. hospitals have refused to employ smokers. 
Are such edicts fair or unfair and ethically indefensible?  A Winnipeg family doctor some years ago announced he would refuse to keep patients on his roster who refused to stop smoking. How does a prominent medical bioethicist view this issue?
Guest: Dr. Arthur Caplan. Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Author: Smart Mice, Not So Smart People.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mexico outlaws smoking outside a family home (that includes open air venues and beaches). - This week it was recommended warning labels be affixed to all alcohol containers in Canada.With healthcare under massive stress and with smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol contributing to serious and negative health outcomes is it ethical for medical institutions (and individual doctors) to impose a prohibition on tobacco and alcohol use in order to obtain expensive and challenging surgeries? Abstaining from alcohol for six months prior to being eligible for liver transplantation was the regulation previously in Canada (is no longer). - In the U.K. hospitals and individual doctors/surgeons have refused to perform difficult and expensive surgeries (heart bypass/transplants) and orthopedic procedures on smokers who refused to quit. - In the U.S. hospitals have refused to employ smokers. 

Are such edicts fair or unfair and ethically indefensible?  A Winnipeg family doctor some years ago announced he would refuse to keep patients on his roster who refused to stop smoking. How does a prominent medical bioethicist view this issue?

Guest: Dr. Arthur Caplan. Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Author: Smart Mice, Not So Smart People.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices