Reason Writers Around Town: Jacob Sullum on Employers Who Refuse to Hire Smokers

The newly conspicuous practice of refusing to hire smokers has aroused objections not only from tobacco companies but also from civil libertarians and even some anti-smoking activists. At AOL News, Pam Parker, co-founder of Opponents of Ohio Bans, argues that employers should not be allowed to discriminate against smokers. Senior Editor Jacob Sullum disagrees, arguing the real threat to privacy and autonomy comes from the paternalistic tendencies of a government bent on making us as healthy as we can be, without regard to our own preferences.