Should people who smoke be refused treatment on the NHS?

[ollyjolly]

I think people should be refused treatment on the NHS who smoke. Why as a non smoker should I have to pay for someone who damages themselves at the expense of my treatment. Its wrong, the tax they collect off tobacco doesn't cover the costs and most tobacco is imported now anyway!! What do you think?

[efc]

Should we also refuse treatment to the unemployed and all those claiming benefits??

[Oneeyedvic]

oh dear it must be the fumes in the house - I'm agreeing with anotheoldgit again!

[Goodsoulette]

Olly Jolly, some shocking FACTS for you, apparently it costs the nhs between 1.5 and 2 billion quid for smoking related illnesses each year ( and yup that includes asthma, chest infections, smokers prone to sinisitis etc etc), sounds horrendous doesnt it, why should nonsmokers pay for these illnesses.

BUT they rake in around 10 billion in tax off fags alone. Where would that extra 8 billion come from if everyone gave up that disgusting addiction tomorrow. I see nonsmokers taxes going up, YAY!

[naomi24]

What rubbish! I don't even know why I'm bothering to answer this.

[naomi24]

Djerba - do you take part in any sporting activity; do you drink; do you drive; do you ever eat junk food? If you needed medical treatment resulting from anything you choose to do, would you expect society to pay for it? 20 a day smokers (and I'm not one of them) pay around �5 a day for their habit, and most of that is tax, so I think they're paying their way. Added to that, they die earlier, and by doing so save the health service a fortune.

Just one question to you and to ollyjolly (who doesn't sound all that jolly to me!) - what's it like to be perfect? Tell the rest of us and I'm sure we'll all aspire to emulate you!!

[joko]

well...all those maniacs who climb on stools to get something out of the top cupboard - and bluddy well fall off!!!
what are they playing at, eh'?

or..or... or people who walk up the stairs with a pair of those massive fluffy animal head slippers on, eh?
...flaming well asking for trouble!!!
well, its their own stupid fault!

burn them! burn them aaaalllll, aaaaaagghhh!!!

[Hammond Egg]

What about pregnant women? Isn't their condition - in the vast majority of cases - the consequence of something they chose to do, albeit with some co-operation? Would you close all NHS maternity wards?

[idalovett]

I think ollyjolly you should consider that the smokers also pay deductions from their wages and some of that goes to the NHS. Often the very anti smoking brigade are ex smokers, but following your train of thought why as a smoker (who has contributed to the NHS for 40 years)should I pay for your treatment or drugs if you were ill with any ailment?

[clever trev]

Do you drive a car Olly? if so you are pumping fumes down my throat, that may give me cancer, will i get treatment ?

[noxlumos]

I think we should all pay a penny extra Tax on our fags so that Olly can have his much needed operation to have his mouth removed from his ar5e to stop him talking out of it.
I'm sure it'd be money well spent, as then the Muppet might actually say something worth hearing instead of the ill concieved Sh1te that he spouts at the moment due to his chronic condition.

[johnizere]

I don't have children of school age, darned if I'm paying for education then?

[stokeace]

at the end of the day smoking is self inflicted and NO smokers should not get treatment on the nhs.if a person who smokes 200 cigs a day at an average of 5 pounds a packet thats 50 quid a week im sure they could afford to pay for private treatment when they become ill through smoking related illnesses.

[stokeace]

sorry i meant 200 cigs a week not a day................

[gina32]

djerba, and olly totally agree

[Marvelman]

What about the thousands of immigrants who pour into this country every year, they get free medical care, plus flu injections for all of them. they have never paid a penny into the NHS, and a lot of them never will.

[naomi24]

OK let's get really silly. Why should people who haven't got children pay for other peoples? It's not only the cost of the delivery and the medical care during pregnancy they're subsidising - families get child benefit for years, tax credit to supplement their income, and the government allocate a sum of money to all new babies for investment. Let's not forget the cost of all that free education either - and whilst we're about it what about the extra medical care given to the children?

And what about waste disposal? Why should the rest of us pay higher council tax to have the extra rubbish created by families dealt with? People don't have to have children. They choose to, so let them bear the cost.

Why don't we all pay out own way in everything? A lot of people would be much better off if they only had themselves to pay for - including a lot of smokers.

Right back down to earth. We pay for all these things is because hopefully, we live in a reasonably civilised society - although listening to you, ollyjolly, and to your sidekicks, it's hard to believe. What thoughtless people you are.

[flip-flop]

Do you have kids gina, djerby or olly? If you do, did you use an NHS maternity ward, scans, ante-natal classes etc...? If you did, you are hypocrites.

Having children is self-inflicted.

[ollyjolly]

For you mob who are saying that having children is self inflicted and you should have to pay for that are stupid cause where would we be without the young? A decline population looking after the olds. That is mother nature, reproduction happens with every species. YOu don't see Elephants smoking do you? And to the guy who say smoking costs the NHS 1.5 Billion a year that info came from the tobacco companies not the NHS direct.

[flip-flop]

But the point is having children is just as self-inflicted as smoking. No amount of argument will detract from this undeniable fact.

As has been said elsewhere in this thread, do you refuse to treat people with STDs? Do you refuse to treat people who have sporting injuries? Do you refuse to treat people who have fallen off their bicycle? Do you refuse to treat anybody who has knowingly partaken in an activity that could injure them.

Who do you treat?

Your argument is seriously flawed to the point of being nonsense I'm afraid.

[Miss Zippy]

I'm no medical expert, but, save for problems we are born with or have a genetic disposition to developing, I would have thought that many adult illnesses/diseases can be traced back to either being caused by or exacerbated by our lifestyle. Whether this be smoking, drinking, eating the wrong foods, lack of exercise, too much exercise (causing joint problems etc) suffering severe stress (severe stress can be a contributing factor to high blood pressure and heart disease), frequent flying, using certain deodorants and other personal hygiene/beauty products (some people are of the opinion that certain cancers, such as breast cancer, can be caused by using deodorant and that inhaling hairspray can damage your lungs) etc etc. Who or you or anyone else to judge whether another person 'deserves' medical treatment?