Thank You for Smoking

Not only is it an hilarious novel by fellow Portsmouth Abbey alumnus Christopher Buckley, but it's what England's NHS (National Health Service) is saying to that nation's smokers. Not only are smokers taxed at exorbitant rates there and in the US, but now they are subject to penalties if they fail to quit during the four weeks prior to undergoing surgery for non-life-threatening conditions. The reason for the new policy is that smokers have been shown to need much longer recovery time than non-smokers.

A quote from an online forum in this article on the Daily Mail website makes a salient point -

"What about drinkers, drug takers, people who eat too much and people who never exercise?"

I'm not sure that I used "salient" correctly just then, but it sounds good. This debate will intensify as personal behavior and lifestyle choices come under increased scrutiny vis-a-vis healthcare costs. The problem is that the line is difficult to draw, as shown in the aforementioned example in England.

Here's another example: Does the exercise benefit that comes with playing in a soccer league outweigh the risks of injury that come with it? Will people start being asked increasingly personal questions about lifestyle? Will EHRs (Electronic Health Records) destroy any shred of privacy that remains in our society? Do you think George Orwell is as smart as I do? Did I use "vis-a-vis" correctly in the preceding paragraph? Where is the accent grave on my keyboard?

All of these are important questions.