Hosptial Hiring Article

The article is found on Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583291,00.html. It states that Chattanooga Hospital in Tennessee will no longer be hiring tobacco users. While I think this is a great standpoint for the medical professionals working there, who don't smoke, it seems like the process won't last long without a lawsuit. Since I am not a smoker I can understand that it is beneficial for society to discourage smoking. But, from an HR perspective, it doesn't seem fair. For decades our businesses have worked and worked at making businesses "equal opportunity employers". But this decision could be seen as discriminatory. At the same time, I can also see the benefits from an HR perspective: lower health insurance costs, more time on the job and less smoking breaks, more accuracy at work without such distractions. It is certainly a controversial issue and it will be interesting to find out what happens. If hospitals are allowed to embrace this throughout the country (which I doubt they will be), then it could have a very positive impact in the future, perhaps causing a decline in the number of smokers in the next generation.