Universe On The Couch

This is also a significant way to reduce costs. The healthier we are, the less we need to spend on health care. Less medication, doctor visits, tests, nursing care and hospitalizations. The old prevention is better than cure thing.

We can start with smoking. A no-brainer. Anybody with half a brain knows that smoking is a major cause of heart disease, cancer and lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

This is clear to anyone who was born after about 1955 before they would have started smoking. So what's the fucking problem? We have the freedom/right to smoke, so outlawing it is against our principles. But then expect to be provided health care when we get sick. Typical American I want my rights, but not any responsibility. We will see this all throught my health care discussion. Today's youth probably see it as rebellion against the health nazis. What a joke. Their rebellion is a well-marketed advertising scam to sell smoking and make mega-bucks. Suckers. Losers. Conformists.

The easiest solution? Don't start. Make the gum and patches cheap so the tar and other nasty stuff is eliminated besides nicotine. And the adverse effects of smoking itself and second-hand smoke. Then put the true links with wrinkles for the women and limp dick for the former men.

The next is alcohol. Here we have all sorts of cancers, high blood pressure and liver disease for starters. Then all the trauma that is alcohol related: Murders, assaults, spousal abuse, child abuse, rape, auto accidents, bicycle accidents, drownings, falls,... And finsih off our trifecta with psychiatric related issues: Depression, dementia, anxiety, impotence, insomnia,...

Prohibition was clearly a disaster. Again its individual choice. Nothing works better than 12-step programs, so they need to be encouraged and even mandated when the legal system is involved. Again we have a multi-billion dollar marketing campaign to encourage its use. So keep it under control and keep it safe. The less the better. None is best. That moderate thing is suspect. But that's another blog.

Drugs are the next issue. They already are illegal, but the war isn't working. Prohibition re-visited. Individual choice and responsibility again. Even marijuana can cause depression and anxiety. It gets worse from there. Here the worst is methamphetamine. This causes untold depression and paranoia, even after stopping it. People are literally making themselves crazy. Women who have used it often bloat up like hippos. The prisons are full of inmates who committed violent crimes on it. PCP can lead to a schizophrenia-like syndrome. Injecting drugs leads to infected heart valves, hepatitis and HIV.

I'll end today here. Simply, at least half of our health care costs can be accounted for by smoking, drinking and illicit drugs use. None are neccessary to live or even to really enjoy life. A drink or two a day and a joint a week probably won't hurt you much, but won't help either. Still, this is clearly a very simple-but not easy-area to improve our health care costs. And more importatnly our well-being and quality of life.