Why should smokers be refused routine medical treatment if they don't give it up?

If they're going to be picky, what about FAT people, heavy drinkers and those who have contracted HIV/AIDS due their lifestyle? Most have paid national insurance contributions and taxes. Are they to be refused treatment due to the strident, hysterical screams of bigots?

And I also think that the bigots should be refused medical attention needed, after they have the sh*t beatten out of them by everyone else, if they don't become educated about the real world too.

I'm not sure where you are located or what types of treatments you are referring to, but I work in a hospital and I have never heard of such a thing. Unless you are talking about insurance companies, if that is the case, it is not just smokers who are refused treatment.

smokers usually have contributed more in paying tax than non-smokers so in fact should be top of the queue

they should not be refused treatment because they smoke but if the treatment is rendered inaffective because of smoking then a priority should be given to a non smoker as there is a better chance of recovery and it would be a better way to use resources

Very very true...besides the amount of tax that is put on cigarettes....surely smokers have paid more than their fair share for health care! It's a scare tactic the government are using to get people to quit! I agree with you whole-heartedly; if they are going to discriminate against smokers then they should adopt a similar ethic for people doing ANYthing damaging to their health.

I completely agree with you. I might smoke 5 to 10 ciggies a day, but I've been vegetarian and athletic all my life, pay a fortune in tax and have hardly ever used the health services. And if I get refused treatment for cancer over some bum who's been living on big macs every day for 20 years then that's as ludicrous as the proposition that Maccas will pay for their bum surgery.

Specifics.... What treatment? Who was refused? Where?

Be specific.

Youve been reading the Sun havent you???

:D

every1 should be treated equally

Overweight people are refused treatment. Addicts are given less priotity than others. Learn your facts

Why should you get a lung transplant if all your going to do is destroy it? Why should others suffer because you are damaging yourself? I think the same goes for addicts etc etc why should we pay for them to undo what our hard earned money is paying for?

To everyone who is on about paying more tax?? none of that money goes on the nhs! that is VAT!

I have read about this and also wonder why.
There has been so many food scares, eggs/butter/offal/ etc that I wonder if the NHS will decide to refuse treatment to people who eat these foods. There is starch in potatoes..I could go on and on about the things that can cause illness and disease to our bodies.
Hysteria it is since cancers, attacks to the heart, lung diseases are had by those who do not smoke.
It was Captain Dreke (I remember) who brouhgt it back from one of his jaunts and gave it to one of the English Queens who happily puffed away on a pipe.
What is good enough for a Queen is good enough for me.

Though I gave up smoking 2.5 years ago, I agree. Why don't we also refuse to treat drunk peple who get into fights because of their own stupidity. We can refuse to treat mugging victims because they ignored police advice about going out alone.

I'm a smoker and I don't think it's fair to refuse us medical treatment. We pay our taxes through our incomes plus the duty on the cigarettes so we pay twice over. And we do the government the favour of dying early so we save them the pensions.Anyway, what if the illness is not smoking related.

Well you obviously don't live in the US. The US is pretty much the only country in the world that doesn't have a national health care program.

But to your question, those that are a higher health risk should have to pay more or be given a lower priority. For example, if you smoke, and get lung cancer, why should you get a new lung when one is available over a guy who doesn't smoke, but lost his lungs due to a car accident? If you got the lung, you would just smoke it up again, but if the car accident guy got it, he could live a full and productive life.

smokers should get the same treatment as any one else i reckon all these people who claim sickness benefit and out of work should be made to pay for prescriptions etc bet it wouldn't take long for them to get work, they should also pay full council tax me and my husband pay 800 a month national insurance and tax, we both smoke and have a drink weekends yet some people reckon we should be put to the back of the waiting lists for nhs treatments. i do actually think good old england is taken for a ride these days i actually work for my local hospital so i see things on the inside and it is falling apart so i reckon we need a health care scheme which scraps nhs except under 16yrs/18yrs still in college. which you pay a certain amount so when you need treatment its there for you, if your on the dole get a job. i clear up patients body fuilds not nice but at least i have self respect.

Hi,i am a smoker have not heard about being refused treatment however nothing surprises me.The people you have mentioned they have already started on them.When they finish with them there will be some one else untill they have to pick on each other.Personally I cannot wait to see it.Also I do not intend to pack in smoking for anyone.One thing annoys me like you say we pay stamp also heavy duty on cigerettes infact if it was not for us smokers, tax's would have to go up to keep the NHS then they will start screaming.