PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY?

I have been spending time and psychic energy trying to be helpful in the "War" against Prescription Drug Diversion. In Florida, we have a huge problem with prescription pain medications, especially OxyContin getting into the hands of people who take them recreationally rather than for their original purpose, the relief of severe pain. Some of the young people who "get HIGH" from this drug, become a statistic...7 people die every day in Florida from prescription drug overdose.

Yesterday I was in the doctor's lounge at our local hospital and joined an ongoing conversation among several doctors of various specialties. Most of them were against additional government interference and the formation of a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program at a state level. Their argument was two fold...1) too much government interference with our personal and professional lives already, and 2) personal responsibility... that is to say, if you are a teenager and you decide to do something illegal and dangerous, live with the consequences... "Why is it my problem?"

I suppose that if we take the stance that society has no role in helping those who don't care about their own health we could really extend "we are not going to care for you" to many other medical problems such as:

No treatment for obese people who get type two diabetes from overeating

No care for motorcyclists who get head injuries from riding without helmets

No treatment for AIDS patients who pick up their disease from unprotected sex

No treatment for auto accident victims who did not wear a seatbelt

No treatment for heart and lung diseases in smokers

No treatment for liver disease in alcoholics

The list is potentially endless. So where do we stand as a society in this era of economic collapse and explosive growth in health care particularly for disease related to poor lifestyle choices?

I have no answers on this but I remember being young and crazy and I am glad that there was something about society back in the 50s that allowed me to make it to an older age. The least we can do is work a little harder to protect those whose fantasy of immortality and indestructibility is unrealistic, at least until they get old enough to Legally buy beer.