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Smokers who do not quit should be refused elective surgery, argues a Sydney doctor who says post-operative infection rates are higher for smokers and that their treatment wastes healthcare resources.
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Granted, smoking is a very big health risk. My dad has been smoking for 25 years, and he's in terrible shape because of it. It's also a waste of the family money, with all the damn taxes.
But that's not what the doctor is arguing. He is arguing that it weakens the immune system. Smoking is just ONE of the countless factors that can affect one's immune system. The factors include diet, exercise, drinking, environment, etc. They might as well refuse elective surgery to people who live in polluted cities.
Good thing it's just one doctor, who lives all the way in Australia. I hope there's no such talk in the US.