@F_alk:
i (as a asmoker) wonder why “smoker-bashing” is that hip. I mean:
1)it’s an addiction, and that often is considered an illness/mental problem. You even find (for the famous and rich alcoholics and medicine abusers) clinics for them etc., only for smokers, it seems to be seen different.
Maybe because of the exhorbitant costs associated with these ideas. Also people don’t need this much intensive work usually. What these people need is a realization of what smoking does to them, to their wallet, their lungs, cardiovascular, mouth and throat, breasts, genitals, etc. systems, as well as to their children and spouses. Then they need a kick in the ass, and possibly one of the smoking cessation drugs (zyban, patch, gum, will power, etc.) or even join a “trying to quit smoking” group. Finally they need to try to quit about 5-7 times or so. This may involve many kicks in the ass, but many smokers ultimately “get it” (i.e. i am realizing that just because someone smokes does not make them a COMPLETE AND UTTER IDIOT - just somewhat more moronic).
- Alcohol kills quite a lot pf unrelated people as well, or how many people die on the streets because of drunk drivers? What is the effect of “second hand smoking” in open spaces anyway? I don’t have any trouble to go outside to smoke… but then, is outside considered a “public place”?
ahhh the classic distraction of the smoker who refuses to look at himself as having a problem - blame the other guy syndrome. Divert the issue by talking about alcohol/obesity/sunblock in a classic smokescreen to divert the issue. In the issue i brought up, the health inspector is treating public establishments (pubs/restaurants, etc.) which allow smoking in the same vein as those which supply poison water. Although i hate walking near someone who smokes outside, i have to concede that it will be a while until these people are killed/quit smoking etc.
- What is the average dying age of smoker compared to a non-smoker? What are the costs of cancer operations etc. (for smokers) compared to the costs for treating the demented very old (non-smokers), the operation lasts a few hours, watching over people suffering from alzheimer lasts years? How much tax-income would be lost by losing the direct taxes on cigarettes, plus losing a whole branch of industry?
I have read (smoewhere) that smokers actually are very profitable in the above terms for the state and community…… they pay taxes and health insurance, and then die early and rather quickly.
i don’t know the age, but there is a 1 in 3 chance that you’re little cancer pill - you know that thing that you are paying money to the tobacco companies to kill you with - is going to kill you.
Although in Canada taxes on cigarettes do not cover the health costs associated with smoking from a public point of view, you are right in that ultimately the my prove to be a cost benefit. The tobacco industry performed an analysis in Romania and found that the public actually saved money b/c of smokers. This is because as you say - people die before collecting much of their benefits - retirement and otherwise. Note that typically smokers are in the lower socio-economic levels (not always, of course) - people who are more prone to be sick, granted, but also typically people who suck off the system, or work as blue-collar workers (i.e. retire with some kind of pension). One might well argue that there is utility in smoking in this regard. I’m curious if they looked at the increasing predisposition for children with asthma and allergies, as well as other inflammatory syndromes and their costs on the health system, as well as other second-hand smoking diseases - lung cancer, etc. and their effects.
From a utility-point of view, who cares as long as they die after they contribute to the system right?
Yuck. From a bio/medico-ethical standpoint this is an abhorrent way of thinking. You might be able to justify this from your standpoint, and granted there are a lot of people out there of the mindset “let those idiots kill themselves off”, but i certainly don’t approach my work that way. The more patients i can “save” from their smoking, and the more i can take from the “evil tobacco companies” (there is your evil force FS), then the better i feel at the end of the day.
