Welcome to the Nanny State

A few weeks back I ran a story how the NHS in Britain will deny medical treatment to smokers on a case by case basis. Then they backtracked when they were hit by a backlash. After all, people in England are forced to pay high taxes to pay for the National Health system whether they want it or not. Whether they smoke or not. ut in socialized medicine, one they lock you in they can start denying select groups health care all they want.

A smoker is facing years of pain after an NHS hospital refused to set his broken ankle unless he gives up cigarettes.

John Nuttall, 57, needs the operation to fix the ankle he broke in three places two years ago and which was not healed by a plaster cast.

Doctors at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro have refused to operate to rebuild the ankle because they say Mr Nuttall’s heavy smoking would reduce the chance of a full recovery.

They have told him to give up smoking before they operate but the retired builder has been unable to break his habit.

Mr Nuttall says he is in constant pain from the grating of the broken bones against each other and has been prescribed daily doses of morphine.

Oh, they try to make it sound so reasonable. But the fact is, they’re job is to treat anyone in the system. Not make exclusionary rules. But when you let the state run your life, they can and will find ways to turn the screws on you.

Never trust the state to do anything right. 

1. Apparently, the excuse is that smoking causes constriction of the blood vessels and will impede healing.  And that can apply to...well, just about every possible operation, really.  How convenient. “Case by case” my aching ass.
   It’s the ultimate demonization of smokers...now they are unworthy of any but the most basic health care, given grudgingly and with much grumbling.  Meanwhile, skid row bums, prisoners, illegal immigrants and assorted other scum (all presented as “victims” who deserve free treatment as a “human right") are treated without complaint and even given high-end treatments such as organ transplants...all at Mr. Nuttall’s expense, despite his lifetime of paying for the NHS and extortionate taxes on his cigarettes.  (Remember?  Those high taxes on cigs were supposed to pay for the “extra” health costs of smokers.  Now they won’t even pay for things unrelated to smoking in those evil smokers.  The government should at least have the honesty to admit that they stole the money and lied.)
   And it’s bizarre...they spent decades screaming that smokers were helpless victims of Big Tobacco, but now that’s all forgotten.  Smokers must pay, PAY dammit, for their voluntary and uncoerced choice of an unhealthy lifestyle.
   Bah.

   Posted by  on  09/14  at  04:59 PM

2. Is it me, or is it a little ironic that these medical gurus have such a big problem with his tobacco use, but don’t mind prescribing him daily doses of morphine?

   Posted by  on  09/14  at  10:04 PM

3. Morphine? How about all those meds with serious side effects that doctors shovel down patient’s throats?

   At least he wasn’t over 70. The NHS cuts off medical care to people past 70. So much for “free health care for all”. There ain’t no free lunch. The NHS as well as the Canadian one are paid for by high taxes.

   Posted by James Hudnall  on  09/15  at  08:46 AM

4. They’re trying to raise cigarette taxes again.  Senator Reid tells me that the money will buy health insurance - just not for me.

   Posted by  on  09/15  at  07:19 PM

5. That “taxes for health care to deal with smoker’s diseases” claim sounds so reasonable, doesn’t it?  The only problem is that the amount of taxes collected exceeded the total cost of treating all smokers for all heath care problems for their entire lives as far back as 1983 (or 1991, depending on whose figures you choose to believe).  Everything since that has been pork.
   Then the states looted the tobacco companies with the “Master Settlement Agreement” for that total amount AGAIN.  Now they want more?  Why don’t they just shackle the smokers to a chain gang somewhere and quit beating about the bush?
   It kind of reminds me of what someone said about slavery reparations: we should just pay them all some huge chunk of money, maybe $250,000 each, then it’s done.  That is, the “crime” of racism is struck from the books, along with hate crimes, affirmative action, etc.  They get paid, we get blessed silence.  (I think I’d go for that, actually.)
   With smoking, they could just work out the lifetime total cost of taking care of 100% of smoker’s medical care (because tobacco seems to be an amazing thing--according to the antis, it can cause every possible disease, from toenail fungus to brain cancer) add a tax to cigarettes that equals that amount, then shut the fark up.  The savings from disbanding the multi-billion dollar anti-smoking bureaucracy would certainly pay for any excess.

   Posted by  on  09/15  at  10:19 PM

6. One final thing: just how much of a chance of making a “full recovery” does Mr Nuttall have if they DON’T EVEN OPERATE?
   These idiots need to re-read their Hippocratic Oath.

   Posted by  on  09/16  at  01:46 PM

7. On reparations; make it 500 thou and a new pardon for OJ every 12 years.

   Posted by Edshugeo The GodMoor  on  09/18  at  06:56 AM
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