tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206925865771080897.post6764147215774484136..comments2024-01-11T11:50:49.647-05:00Comments on Compassion in Action: I'm Too Stupid To Think! Gov. To The RescueRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550690186896747069noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206925865771080897.post-66246130708333646702014-06-12T23:53:13.230-04:002014-06-12T23:53:13.230-04:00A beautiful example of privatized healthcare syste...A beautiful example of privatized healthcare system where people pay for diseases of their "own fault": where you spend $ 8,508 per capita (compared to $4,522 in Canada) and accomplish worse healthcare quality indicators (lower life expectancy, higher percentage obese, higher infant/maternal mortality rate, and many more), and all while leaving 40,000,000 people uninsured and many whole families bankrupt due to unexpected illness = United States of America. To denounce the benefits of health policy and its undeniable contribution to most significant decreases in smoking rates (a popular "own fault" health risk factor) is quite naive. Similarly, rates of motor-vehicle crashes are greatest among young drivers and legal drinking age increases have reduced rates of alcohol-related mortality and disability. Therefore, health policy is most effective for broad(common) public health concerns. Skin cancers (basal-cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas and most seriously malignant melanoma) collectively blitz the rest of cancer-types combined (with over 35,000 new cases annually in Ontario, compared to around 8,000 each for breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancers). These are essentially exclusively the result of lifetime UV exposure and sun burns. The earlier one begins exposure to UV rays, the greater your cumulative lifetime risk. By delaying onset of sun-worshipping behaviour to adulthood, and perhaps reducing its incidence (the amount of new people who start tanning), this is indeed progressive policy; and rather than "controlling" serves to protect and inform society. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - in principle and in dollars (and from what I read, you talk at nauseam about your money). The truth of the matter is that individuals, who on average carry a narrow understanding of health literacy, need guidance from health bodies who advise on harmful health behaviours that impact Canadians - banning tanning beds to youth has been recommended and strongly advocated by the likes of Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Dermatology Association, the Canadian Cancer Society and the World Health Organization. The evidence in the medical research literature respectfully disagrees with you. Spend a day with me in the clinic and I'll show you. - An Ontario Physician.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com