With the health service in the state that it is – should smokers be responsible for the costs of their own health care?
Everyone has freedom of choice and smokers can make the choice to stop, but by continuing to smoke they are creating their own health problems. But is it right that non-smokers should have to subsidise health care treatment that prolongs a lifestyle of slow suicide? Why should people who do look after their health still have to indirectly subsidise the smokers’ tobacco habit through their National Insurance contributions?
Smokers say they want the free choice of being able to smoke but they do not appear to want to fully accept all the consequences of smoking. They still want someone else to subsidise their cancer or heart disease treatment. And what about secondary smoking? If you take drugs
or alcohol, and then hurt someone whilst under the influence of these, you are answerable to the law. Through secondary smoking, smokers can give cancer to non-smokers including children; shouldn’t they also be answerable to the law?
If smokers were forced to take responsibility for their own health by having to purchase private health care, this would release funds and facilities in the National Health Service for the treatment of the general public with non self-inflicted health problems. Perhaps then the health service would not be in the state it is in. And let’s not forget the other costs involved: not only do smokers pollute the atmosphere with smoke and ash which increases the cost of keeping buildings clean and fresh, they also litter the ground with cigarette ends, increasing the cost of street cleaning. Then there are the still-burning cigarette ends, carelessly thrown away, causing fires and damaging crops, thus increasing the burden on the fire service and farmers.
Some smokers do appear to be aware of the health risks they take and believe they should take responsibility for their own health – which is why they would like to stop smoking; but whilst smoking remained socially acceptable in pubs and restaurants, and their friends were lighting up, they found it extremely difficult to do so. It does appear that a majority of smokers genuinely welcome the ban on smoking in public buildings, as it will help them to stop smoking due to the temptation no longer being there when their friends light up. Non-smokers will also be able to enjoy a smoke-free night out and not have the really rough feeling next day with their clothes and hair stinking of smoke.
Those who do continue to smoke are now social outcasts and should look at the reasons why they are smoking. They need to take responsibility for their own health, placing the health care treatment burden of their self inflicted cancer or heart disease on themselves, instead of non-smokers having to subsidise them. Perhaps the next move the government should make is to inform smokers they can no longer have free treatment through the NHS and need to take out private health care if they choose to prolong their slow suicide.
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