title: Making sense of medical paternalism.
abstract: Why do we regulate the substances we can ingest, the advisors we can hear, and the products we can buy far more than similarly-important non-health choices? I review many possible arguments for such paternalistic policies, as well many possible holes in such arguments. I argue we should either be clearer about what justifies our paternalism, or we should back off and be less paternalistic.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hanson
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D026706:Paternalism; D010358:Patient Participation; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011640:Public Policy; D012945:Social Values