Essay On Smoking And Smoking

Should a 49 year old man who have smoked since he was 16 years old be given the same healthcare treatment as a 29 year old woman who has never smoked? What if the situation was one who drank? Although some may argue that those who smoke or drink should take the responsibility for their actions, I believe there are factors to be considered. Considerations such as predisposing genetics that make an individual susceptible to substance abuse, the difficulty of ceasing addictions, the unforeseen possibility of denying other predisposing conditions and, not to mention, fulfilling the principle of healthcare professionalism—providing care for all. Despite criticisms against providing the same health care to those who participate in risky behaviors and those who live healthy, I would argue the fact that there genetic factors that makes some people vulnerable to unhealthy behaviors such as smoking or drinking. According to Matt McGue (1999), “50-60% of the variability in alcoholism liability is associated with genetic factors”. Even though this does not provide a direct link of absolute alcoholism to …show more content…
Reasons such as denying care to professional sport players because of the risky career they are in, or to a child who is exposed to second hand smoking at home. Moreover, not everyone has the resources to maintain a healthy life. Maybe there are time conflicts that provides the time for exercises, or financial struggles for healthy meals, or simply lack of knowledge that prevents people from avoiding risky behaviors. Denying care will not only further diminish the health for such people described in prior sentences, but also have the potential of causing an economic burden to society. Even if the notion of denying someone care based on their risky behaviors was to be established, who would determine what risky behaviors to