Where Theres Smoke, You May Be Fired: The Smoking Habits Of American Chief Executive Officers

Abstract

This paper looks at the subject of CEO smoking behavior, as related to family social background, education, and occupational status. The article was developed from a data bank of 243 chief executive officers who responded to a comprehensive questionnaire about their personal habits and traits. Chief executives as a group contain far fewer smokers than the national average, and tend to discriminate against smokers. Career implications for aspiring junior executives are drawn.