The British Medical Journal: Deny Smokers Treatment?

[ATLHARP]

Here is an interesting take on the Hippocratic oath! This is why IMHO health care must remain in private hands. I would hate to see some butthole like this deciding whether or not I can receive medical treatment.

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2...359.shtml?s=ic

ATL

[j6ppc]

Originally Posted by ATLHARP

Here is an interesting take on the Hippocratic oath! This is why IMHO health care must remain in private hands. I would hate to see some butthole like this deciding whether or not I can receive medical treatment

ATL

On the other hand within the context of the article they seem to be talking about elective surgery. That is a whole other deal than just "denying treatment" to smokers IMHO.

"Therefore, as long as everything is done to help patients to stop smoking, it is both responsible and ethical to implement a policy that those unwilling or unable to stop should have low priority for, or be excluded from, certain elective surgical procedures."

[AAlmeter]

Technically, rebuilding my wrist after grinding my scaffloid into nothing was an elective surgery.


There is a huge difference between elective and bullshit, like tummy tucks and such.

[TMoneYNYY]

This is absolute nonsense. If the doctor(s) plan on saying that because the complications associated with smoking are done intentionally, then they can't provide treatment to those who attempt suicide, since that is intentional, as well! This is just flat-out sad and ridiculous.

[nem]

Sounds great. Why don't we deny drinkers medical treatment as well!?

[zonedar]

Or overweight people..?

[Lumpold]

There is a big problem with this.... which I raised in a letter to my local Member of Parliment when it arose here last summer.... Tax on tobacco, such as cigars, raises every budget time. Recently, we have seen raises to help pay for the strain on the NHS placed there by smokers. So if my tax has been raised to cover this, why should I be denied treatment for smoking?

Also, driving a car is a life choice... I don't care if you do it for a living... it's a choice. Should we deny drivers surgery after car crashes, I mean, if they had walked, it more than likely wouldn't have happened.

All those obese teenagers, who haven't paid tax, why should we treat them, their parents have made a choice to feed them unhealthy foods.

People who develop skin cancer after sunbathing, irresponsibly ignoring warnings to use sun block, why treat them?

Most diseases in this world can be, ultimately, attributed to life choices, and not doing the healthiest thing at the time of infection, should we deny these people treatment?

In fact, most of these so called life choices will directly affect the poorest ends of our society, the people who can't afford private treatment.