Should smokers and binge drinkers be charged for using the NHS?

[HattonTheHammer]

I believe that smoking and alcohol consumption should be made illegal. Causes more widespread damage to more people than recreational drugs. It's a huge problem. I don't go out that much on a weekend anymore, but decided to go out into Manchester after the Haye fight. I saw a piss head booting someone in the head whilst he was on the floor and a little later on i saw a man laying down out cold, on his own in the rain.

Of course it will never happen but imo it's a problem

=

Ive got no friends therefore have never tried either thing but would much prefer it to be outlawed so nobody can ever have a good time again.

weirdo

For stating that alcohol abuse and tobacco abuse is a bigger drain on NHS resources than recreational drugs? Not sure how that adds up.

I don't want to outlaw anything, but seen as though we do, my point was, if recreational drugs are outlawed because they are deemed dangerous, then surely alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous, therefore should be illegal.

I know, it's a logical thought process and i understand because there isn't a 'SUN Campaign' against it, you'll have trouble getting your head around it.

From what your originally post:

You think alcohol and tobacco should be outlawed = grown adults should no longer be able to enjoy themselves

i dont go out much anymore = potential loner

when i was out i saw someone get there head kicked in = the consequence of alcohol agreed, but we are not all out to cause trouble. Just the 18year olds who cant handle there shandys getting the f*ck kicked out of them

[AdamGB]

hahaha 'sun campaign'... Love it

As far as paying for smoke related illness, I agree in theory but like nameless has said there are too many ifs and buts for any sort of fair system.

[ono]

=

Ive got no friends therefore have never tried either thing but would much prefer it to be outlawed so nobody can ever have a good time again.

weirdo

For stating that alcohol abuse and tobacco abuse is a bigger drain on NHS resources than recreational drugs? Not sure how that adds up.

I don't want to outlaw anything, but seen as though we do, my point was, if recreational drugs are outlawed because they are deemed dangerous, then surely alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous, therefore should be illegal.

I know, it's a logical thought process and i understand because there isn't a 'SUN Campaign' against it, you'll have trouble getting your head around it.

From what your originally post:

You think alcohol and tobacco should be outlawed = grown adults should no longer be able to enjoy themselves

i dont go out much anymore = potential loner

when i was out i saw someone get there head kicked in = the consequence of alcohol agreed, but we are not all out to cause trouble. Just the 18year olds who cant handle there shandys getting the f*ck kicked out of them

No i explained my point that i believed alcohol and tobacco to be more dangerous than other recreational drugs. Not sure how that equates to 'grown adults' (as you eloquently put) no longer being able to enjoy themselves. Unless of course you require alcohol to enjoy yourself. If you do, you have my sincerest condolences.

I actually said i don't go out much at a weekend, you know, as in nights out on the town. Again, if that makes me a potential loner, then so be it. It's a small price to pay to avoid spending my nights with drunken reprobates like yourself

[JazMerkin]

Hammer you dancer

[ryanman]

Yeah, it's an interesting one and I hadn't really considered it before. Also from articles I have read binge drinking appears to be particularly out of control in the UK. A penalty for emergency care brought on by binge drinking might provide an incentive to moderate behaviour and to consider the impact it has. Like I say, I do binge drink myself (but never to the state where I am passing out) and would quite happily cough up if it went to far and led to me being hospitalised. I don't see why society as a whole should cover the cost of self excess.

HTH, you aren't possibly trying to tell me that you think gays should recieve life extending AID's medicine courtesy of the NHS!?

I believe they should be allowed to the same rights that normal straight people have

As long as they arent allowed back into society to spread such diseases by working with food or other such things ive no problem whatsoever!!

Haha, a classic Hammerism.

[ryanman]

The thing is even if you believe smokers/drinkers etc shouldn't get treated on the NHS its a question of defination. Whats a binge drinker for instance? Or if you have one cigarette a week (unlikely I know) then coincidently get lung cancer should you then be classified as a smoker and thus denyed free treatment?

[Kev]

miles,

should anorexics be treated on the NHS?
should depressed people be treated or just be told to snap out of it?

Missy will hate this but I agree with her.

There are multiple lifestyles that are a burden to the state not just smokers and drinkers.

What about fatties?

Or extremely active people who break bones playing football, rock climbing or base jumping?

What about drivers who injure themselves through reckless driving?

Or how about those who injure themselves attempting to do some DIY or heavy lifting when they should have taken more precautions?

What about wasters such as myself who choose to get cancer so they don't have to work?

What about gays or drug users who get HIV?

What about the sexually promiscous who get other diseases, or the young kids who keep getting pregnant?

How about the old people who don't take care of themselves and get pnuemonia rather than put the heating on?

You could go on and on with this.

[JazMerkin]

This is the 2nd time Miles has posted a link from The Daily Fail.

I say we all shun him like the freak he clearly is for this behaviour.

[ryanman]

This is the 2nd time Miles has posted a link from The Daily Fail.

I say we all shun him like the freak he clearly is for this behaviour.

Agreed. When I started on here properly last september I swear he was slightly left of centre. Now he's bloody somewhere to the right of Ghengis Khan!

[JazMerkin]

This is the 2nd time Miles has posted a link from The Daily Fail.

I say we all shun him like the freak he clearly is for this behaviour.

Agreed. When I started on here properly last september I swear he was slightly left of centre. Now he's bloody somewhere to the right of Ghengis Khan!

Haha, it's only a matter of time before he starts calling for the blood of the jews, gypsies & Amir Khan. Oh wait...

[ryanman]

This is the 2nd time Miles has posted a link from The Daily Fail.

I say we all shun him like the freak he clearly is for this behaviour.

Agreed. When I started on here properly last september I swear he was slightly left of centre. Now he's bloody somewhere to the right of Ghengis Khan!

Haha, it's only a matter of time before he starts calling for the blood of the jews, gypsies & Amir Khan. Oh wait...

Oh crap, sshh! he's viewing the thread. *whistles*

[Gandalf]

This is the 2nd time Miles has posted a link from The Daily Fail.

I say we all shun him like the freak he clearly is for this behaviour.

Oh, come on now!

When you go to Yahoo they give you the choice of Guardian, Telegraph and the Daily Mail...I can't help but skim through them all. I can assure you all that I am not an avid Mail reader and often find myself at odds with their views when I do read. I thought this one might spark a little debate though and it has.

TBH it isn't an issue I have thought about too much, but on the surface can definitely see the merit in the view that if you drink 10 pints of beer plus shots and then need to go and get your stomach pumped, that you should fork out for the treatment yourself. Smoking I can kind of see a similar thing. Maybe smokers should pay higher NI premiums.

I can see the arguments on both sides and agree that it is a complicated issue, but it is clear that excessive alcohol consumption is a serious social problem in the UK. I wouldn't like to see anything banned myself, but Ono is right. You can walk through any large city in the UK on a saturday night and it is like a zombie filled apocalypse. It can be quite gruesome. I like to get drunk sometimes, but I'm not picking fights with anyone nor getting taken to the emergency room. I just go to bed and the people doing that are just fine and shouldn't need to concern themselves with medical costs and what have you. But those who overdo big time should probably shoulder some of the responsibility because they are just being foolish.

[JazMerkin]

Oh, come on now!

When you go to Yahoo they give you the choice of Guardian, Telegraph and the Daily Mail...I can't help but skim through them all. I can assure you all that I am not an avid Mail reader and often find myself at odds with their views when I do read. I thought this one might spark a little debate though and it has.

TBH it isn't an issue I have thought about too much, but on the surface can definitely see the merit in the view that if you drink 10 pints of beer plus shots and then need to go and get your stomach pumped, that you should fork out for the treatment yourself. Smoking I can kind of see a similar thing. Maybe smokers should pay higher NI premiums.

I can see the arguments on both sides and agree that it is a complicated issue, but it is clear that excessive alcohol consumption is a serious social problem in the UK. I wouldn't like to see anything banned myself, but Ono is right. You can walk through any large city in the UK on a saturday night and it is like a zombie filled apocalypse. It can be quite gruesome. I like to get drunk sometimes, but I'm not picking fights with anyone nor getting taken to the emergency room. I just go to bed and the people doing that are just fine and shouldn't need to concern themselves with medical costs and what have you. But those who overdo big time should probably shoulder some of the responsibility because they are just being foolish.

Now now Miles, don't be ashamed of your right-wing tendencies. No one will hold it against you. Lyle will be proud to have you on board.

As for the point in bold, how often do you walk through cities in the UK on a Saturday night? You live in Korea... do you have one of those machines from The Fly or something?

[ryanman]

[quote=JazMerkin;859769]

Oh, come on now!

When you go to Yahoo they give you the choice of Guardian, Telegraph and the Daily Mail...I can't help but skim through them all. I can assure you all that I am not an avid Mail reader and often find myself at odds with their views when I do read. I thought this one might spark a little debate though and it has.

TBH it isn't an issue I have thought about too much, but on the surface can definitely see the merit in the view that if you drink 10 pints of beer plus shots and then need to go and get your stomach pumped, that you should fork out for the treatment yourself. Smoking I can kind of see a similar thing. Maybe smokers should pay higher NI premiums.

I can see the arguments on both sides and agree that it is a complicated issue, but it is clear that excessive alcohol consumption is a serious social problem in the UK. I wouldn't like to see anything banned myself, but Ono is right. You can walk through any large city in the UK on a saturday night and it is like a zombie filled apocalypse. It can be quite gruesome. I like to get drunk sometimes, but I'm not picking fights with anyone nor getting taken to the emergency room. I just go to bed and the people doing that are just fine and shouldn't need to concern themselves with medical costs and what have you. But those who overdo big time should probably shoulder some of the responsibility because they are just being foolish.

Now now Miles, don't be ashamed of your right-wing tendencies. No one will hold it against you. Lyle will be proud to have you on board.

As for the point in bold, how often do you walk through cities in the UK on a Saturday night? You live in Korea... do you have one of those machines from The Fly or something?

Miles I was speaking to Hammer earlier and he was saying he was concerned that you have such extreme views. At least he knows where to draw the line!

[Gandalf]

Oh, come on now!

When you go to Yahoo they give you the choice of Guardian, Telegraph and the Daily Mail...I can't help but skim through them all. I can assure you all that I am not an avid Mail reader and often find myself at odds with their views when I do read. I thought this one might spark a little debate though and it has.

TBH it isn't an issue I have thought about too much, but on the surface can definitely see the merit in the view that if you drink 10 pints of beer plus shots and then need to go and get your stomach pumped, that you should fork out for the treatment yourself. Smoking I can kind of see a similar thing. Maybe smokers should pay higher NI premiums.

I can see the arguments on both sides and agree that it is a complicated issue, but it is clear that excessive alcohol consumption is a serious social problem in the UK. I wouldn't like to see anything banned myself, but Ono is right. You can walk through any large city in the UK on a saturday night and it is like a zombie filled apocalypse. It can be quite gruesome. I like to get drunk sometimes, but I'm not picking fights with anyone nor getting taken to the emergency room. I just go to bed and the people doing that are just fine and shouldn't need to concern themselves with medical costs and what have you. But those who overdo big time should probably shoulder some of the responsibility because they are just being foolish.

Now now Miles, don't be ashamed of your right-wing tendencies. No one will hold it against you. Lyle will be proud to have you on board.

As for the point in bold, how often do you walk through cities in the UK on a Saturday night? You live in Korea... do you have one of those machines from The Fly or something?

Not since my last holiday home a few years ago and lots of memories from my younger years. It could be quite scary. Out here the streets are an apocalypse from 9pm onwards. Hordes of drunk men pissing against walls and attired in shiny suits stained with little bits of sick.

You know, on the whole I have a mixture of views and not all of them are on the left, but I really don't see myself as being particularly right wing. Getting drunk is fun, but getting a stomach pumped is extreme. Surely, I'm not the only one wanting to pay to get my own stomach pumped.