To think that many people's sense of entitlement has gone mad?

[SweetAlmondOil]

I regularly come across or hear people assume that they are entitled to 'stuff.'

Be it a job that ticks all the boxes, parents helping out (financially at first, or with kids later, etc), government help if they smoke/drink all their lives and need treatment for a related illness.

AIBU to think that more than ever before people are not taking responsibility for their actions/decisions/choices?

Where do you come across these people?

What help does the government provide to drinkers/smokers who get ill?

I don't come across this hardly at all. Maybe it's the company you are keeping OP?

Is this family? Colleagues?

I think smokers and drinkers are entitled to help - they paid the tax on all those cigarettes and alcohol, along with income tax, so yes they are 'entitled' to medical assistance.
Re childcare - no one is entitled to that from parents but I can see that if the parents benefitted from help given by their parents, the kids might feel there's an obligation to pay it forward. Otherwise, no, they aren't entitled to free childcare from granny.
I agree with you about the job though.

Smokers contribute far more in tax to the NHS than they take out. Why shouldn't they receive treatment? Don't know the numbers for alcohol.

@WorraLiberty

What help does the government provide to drinkers/smokers who get ill?

Free health care.

It’s not free, you just don’t pay at the point of access. Smokers pay a lot of tax via the price of cigarettes

Health care isn't free. Only at the point of delivery. It is still paid for by the population, including all those smokers and drinkers.

Thin end of the wedge to limit access based on lifestyle. Do we then stop fat people from getting it, or people who do dangerous sports. Or people who get injured in car accidents because they were driving too fast. Or just driving at all, because it's a risky thing to do?

Free health care?

So what am I paying national insurance for??

I was wondering why I paid NI too.

I think fags & booze are some of the most heavily taxed things on sale in this country - smokers & drinkers aren’t getting healthcare for free

You obviously shouldn't get help for birth injuries - you chose to get pregnant!

As a non drinking, non smoking thinner person - you are talking out of your arse.

I read on here outrage that a struggling sibling is helped out financially by parents but they aren’t, they then add they are on £150k pw and equally successful DH but can’t see why the parents helped out the other child. That’s entitled and grabby.

OK - free at the point of delivery - all the money the government has is yours and mine so the government pays for nothing then.

£150kPA 🙄

I work in the nhs and yes.... very entitled. Maybe they don’t realise it however, as most of us now have never known the uk without free healthcare. We are used to it, and expect it to look after us. Just like if someone gave you a house and it would be fixed for free whenever needed- you’d probably take less care and maintenance than if you had to pay for every leaky roof/ damp etc!

Smokers and drinkers are entitled to healthcare just like people who go skiing or have a piece of cake now or then or people who do stressful jobs and don't get enough sleep.

What about all those dickheads who lead healthy lives or are just genetically lucky then spend decades feeling entitled to pensions, loads of medical care, hip replacements etc. Why the hell should I fund THEIR lifestyles?

I see the myth about the tax on fags all going to the NHS is still being trotted out - oh if only it did!!

Wouldnt it just save everyone alot of time and money if people didnt smoke, over drink and over eat in the first place, regardless of who's paid what in taxes

I think a health care system that is free at the point of delivery should be seen as a human right, not something that can be taken away from us if politicians are in the mood. It’s hardly “entitled” in the way you say it to want basic rights.

@AluckyEllie

I work in the nhs and yes.... very entitled. Maybe they don’t realise it however, as most of us now have never known the uk without free healthcare. We are used to it, and expect it to look after us. Just like if someone gave you a house and it would be fixed for free whenever needed- you’d probably take less care and maintenance than if you had to pay for every leaky roof/ damp etc!

Do you not get paid? Does the equipment you use cost nothing? No? It's not free, it is socialised. Yes, people in the UK are used to not being left to die if they are ill and unable to afford treatment. I think that's probably a good thing. Most people have sufficient imagination (or awareness of systems in other countries) to have an idea of life without a socialised health service. It's a contributing factor to an overwhelming majority of people wanting to keep the NHS.

I think we need to be very careful about the argument that smokers or drinkers should be treated differently in terms of healthcare because this thinking is insidious. Who knows when something you do today will be included tomorrow?

We treat people with all sorts of self inflicted hurts and illnesses because we value our humanity in the face of our human weakness.

@MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously

Health care isn't free. Only at the point of delivery. It is still paid for by the population, including all those smokers and drinkers.

Thin end of the wedge to limit access based on lifestyle. Do we then stop fat people from getting it, or people who do dangerous sports. Or people who get injured in car accidents because they were driving too fast. Or just driving at all, because it's a risky thing to do?

I was just about to post this very thing. Should a silly prat doing stupid stunts (jackass style) be entitled to treatment for their stupidity caused broken leg on the NHS? Of course. We ALL pay so everyone can be treated.

OP, careful now, you're getting close to the attitude of a Trump supporting Repulicunt.

If people didn't feel entitled to 'free' healthcare because they drink/smoke/weigh too much, a massive proportion of NHS staff would be too ill to work.

The whole system would grind to a halt.

The only thing people want or feel entitled to is opportunity and aspiration.