Should people be compensated for smoker-related-illnesses under the NHS, when they willingcaused their fs

Question

Don't you think the NHS should do this and save millions more money for people with 'common sense' and people that can understand what 'Smoking kills means on a cigarette pack'.. If people want freedom to use cancer sticks, don't come running when you get fatally ill.

No offence to people that try to quit, I think they should be compensated.. No one knew smoking was bad when the elderly were in their teens...

Its just the ones that don't care, teenagers who don't care..

I think they should be made to pay for treatment and all these warning don't get through to their heads. This way, NHS hospital in the UK will have more money to meet cleanness standards..

Answer 1

Smokers should not be made to pay for treatment for the principal reason that it is an addiction.As you say there are a lot of us around still who started smoking before it became a major public health issue and you could argue it was an illness in itself.In any event what happened to "free at the point of need/delivery". Also as someone else is bound to observe smokers as a whole (not all of whom contract a smoking related disease) pay an awful lot of extra tax for the privilege.

My counter proposal would be to ringfence tobacco tax revenue (retail and corporate) to provide medical care for smokers.How about that.

If you are not careful the only people you will be preapred to treat on the NHS are those who contract rare genetic diseases which have no correlation whatsoever with "lifestyle choices". Would you apply your logic to people who contract industrial diseases on the basis that they chose to work in a risky industry ??

Answer 2

So what about smokers who are ill but can't afford treatment? Do you just leave them to die?  There are plenty of activities that are bad for your health.  Should we exclude drinkers, people who eat fried food or chocolate, promiscuous people and people who spend too long sitting in front of their computers?

The NHS costs huge amounts of money because of the cost of maintaining people with chronic illnesses.  There are diseases that would have been a death sentence 20 years ago, that can now be managed with an expensive drug programme allowing the sufferer to lead a normal life.  This type of treatment accounts for about 2/3 of the cost of the NHS - or roughly half of the tax we pay.  Do you want to stop treating them?  There was a huge outcry today when the NHS said they were going to withdraw the drugs that prolong the lives of kidney cancer patients.

Answer 3

Absolutely.

On condition that those who do smoke get a full rebate of all NHS contributions plus accumulated interest. Obtaining money by offering a service and failing to provide that service is a criminal offence called fraud. A fact some NHS trusts would do well to bear in mind.

Your sentiment can also be applied to those who participate in dangerous sports, dangerous occupations, motor bike riders, speeding drivers, DIY fanatics and of course the obese - that's just the ones that spring to mind. They all know the risks but choose to do it anyway.

Answer 4

Don't you know no smokers mean no NHS so really the smokers are paying for your treatment