To think we shouldn't be funding this on the NHS?

[AgileJadeDog]

I recently had my first stay in hospital due to a respiratory issue and I kid you not, every other person in the bay smoked+had a smoking related disease.

I have no idea if this is typical in other specialties/hospitals but it really hit me how much gets spent on completely self inflicted stuff. AIBU to think we shouldn't be funding stuff like this?

How did you end up with a PE?

Well there clearly is. As the OP stated lots of people are being treated for their poor decision making skills.

A first time poster (or namechanger) ✔️
Highearner (paid £80k in tax last year ) ✔️
Hates smokers ✔️
Hates overweight people ✔️
Still uses the NHS themselves ✔️

Anything else to add for froth bingo? 😂

The OP is on the wind up.

Food is affordable for the majority of binge eaters

Alcohol is affordable for the majority of drinkers

Drugs are affordable for the majority of occasional users

Pregnancy is affordable for the majority of women needs fertility treatment & support

So what your really saying is the cost of living is too low for people to make good decisions & speciality taxes will fix it.

What benefit to society is skateboarding? Or others exercising?

It benefits the individual

I mean if you don't think people with nicotine addiction should be treated then presumably you think no-one with any sort of addiction should receive treatment? So obese people addicted to food for example? That's basically over 50% of the population you're talking about. You can't cherry pick which medical conditions should be treated depending on the person's addictions. And thankfully it's not up to you or anyone else on here.

Death is a pretty final statement though.

On average it makes people healthier which is positive for society. On average smokers end up with cancer which is bad for society. It is not that difficult to understand.

Nurses should not be away from their work whilst they take smokers outside to smoke. What about the non smokers who are waiting for care? Smoking should not be part of hospital care. Let the families take their relative out to smoke and have this noted in the treatment plan - outside for smoking means you might miss planned treatment and care - meals, washing etc let the family do this instead.

Smoking needs a higher tax.
It needs saying but I’ve seen kids go without proper food whilst the parents are smokers. They buy cigarettes instead of nourishing food. Also the effect of alcohol and drugs - that’s another topic though. I’m against both drinking and drugs.

Really this thread should have been "why is smoking still legal". Because that actually addresses nearly all the points made here. Only the problem with that is it doesn't really lead onto the "logical" step of moving to health insurance so private companies can hoover up premiums whilst spending most of their time working on new ways to exclude people from treatment.

Are you in England? It is now illegal where I am and I think England is planning to follow suit soon.

Are you calling those who have smoked / those who are overweight, stupid? Also those who have mental health issues and have self harmed?

do we refuse to treat overdoses because they are self inflicted .

i was a self harmed - without treatment would be dead .

you live in a lovely little bubble ..
many peoples mobility is restricted due to waiting lists , diet is not as simple as eat healthy. We are now aware genetics are involved .

I have had high bp since I was 21 was a healthy weight then .. but it can be linked to obesity too, it is also linked to stress and genetics Do we not treat that if someone has a stressful job🙄

Really???? So the free base climber who falls off a cliff or ends up stranded costing the rescue services thousands, that's ok. He or she should be treated? Or do they pay for treatment and the cost of rescuing them? I see no benefit to society, do you? Really???

The nurses might appreciate the chance to get outdoors for a few minutes.

I agree and I wouldn’t do it and have never in 13 years but again you don’t know what the situation is. I haven’t taken patients outside to smoke but I’ve taking patients who have been in ICU for months outside for a coffee when they are finally well enough to leave their bedside. I do it when the unit is safe for me to leave and it has been risk assessed. We shouldn’t really pass judgment on one situation that the OP witnessed but has no background knowledge of.

I have a question for the OP.
Recent lung function test showed my lungs are working at 50%. Waiting for consultation appointment but have been told it’s either.
Damage from Radiotherapy for breast cancer or COPD.
Now if it’s the damage, should I not be allowed treatment as I chose to have the Radiotherapy, knowing the risks.
and if it’s the COPD, I’ve never smoked, but my dad did and I willingly put myself in places like pubs and clubs growing up where I came home smelling of smoke.

What would you decide OP, do I deserve treatment or not?

If only there was a way we could get smokers to fund their own treatment through taxes.....

Smokers also die younger & so don't clog up hospitals & care services as frail dementia patients for years on end.

How arrogant does a person need to be to deign who should and shouldn't be treated on a national health service- that is propped up might I add by huge taxes on cigarettes.

If only there was a treatment for how utterly unpleasant you are.

ALL immigrants and visitors to the UK (in their hundreds of thousands) whether they are permanent or not get free HIV and TB care on the NHS (easy to google to fact check) costing millions of pounds and yet you go after regular people doing regular things.

Anyone from anywhere can just rock up to an STI clinic and be treated for HIV etc, with or without a UK address. Some just come to the UK every 6 months for a free prescription after the very expensive initiation of treatment period.

You're spiteful to say the least.

Are you suggesting society just let's those people die in pain?
Many illnesses/accidents are due to lifestyle and choices people have made, sometimes their circumstances have forced an unhealthy lifestyle sometimes they have just made bad choices. But the NHS should never pick and choose who should be treated.
You are being very unreasonable.
Sorry I didn't mean to add that quote to the post. My post was to the OP but I can't delete the quote

That’s their break time. It’s not standing in secondhand smoke that goes on their uniform and person and affects other patients due to the toxins and smell. Just horrid.

I believe anyone who smokes knowing what we know about the impact of smoking is stupid.

I've always thought that fir people on a tight budget who may be smoke about five cigarettes a day, that it's a small pleasure that probably helps them.deal with other shit.

They are people who probably don't have holidays, theatre trips, much to look forward to generally. I don't resent them having a fag or judge it. If it were 20 a day I might rather than 20/30 a week.

I'm also not persuaded that the draconian approach to cigarette smoking hasn't helped rocket other addictions, namely to sugar, fat and alcohol and probably also harder drugs. We are not yet clear about whether the impact of obesity will cost more than cigarette smoking.

I think the consultant's comment about the impact of the historical industrialisation of an area refers also to its deprivation and has been quoted out if context.