View Full Version : stop smoking aids on prescription
should smokers get madications etc on prescription or should they have to pay for it.
i am not sure which side of the fence i am on. i know smokers have paid taxes with buying cigarettes. but if they didnt smoke in first place then they wouldnt need medication to stop.
just someone i know has been prescibed a drug to help them stop and to buy its £160 a month, which i think is very expensive for one person to get on prescription through his own stupidity of starting smoking.
would just like peoples thoughts, thank you
They should pay..IMO.it was their choice to start smoking...and is their choice to stop.Good luck to them all.:D
Standby for fireworks!
I am booking flight faraway ..........:lol:;) should be a dinger of a post !!!:lol:
ShelleyCowie
17-Jan-10, 12:00
No i dont think they should be paid for. I think more important things should be free like inhalers and other actual required medication.
No i dont think they should be paid for. I think more important things should be free like inhalers and other actual required medication.
It is disgusting that inhalers and other vital meds. are not free..so agree with u on that Shelley.;)
I totally agree that inhalers and the like should definately be free as people really need them.
I also think that it is right for the stop smoking aids to be free. Surely it is better for people to be able to get them free than god forbid need cancer treatment which would then be free and no doubt a lot more expensive. Do you think that people who have cancer as a direct result of their smoking should not be entitled to free care either?
Also when people get the stop smoking aids they are only used for a couple of months. Its not like they are going to be on them for years.
People do start smoking of their own accord but the trouble is once you start it is a drug and hard to get off of. If people want to improve their life by taking the plung and stopping why shouldn't they be entitled to the help to get themselves off of it.
Do you think the same for drug addicts and alcoholics??
Shabbychic
17-Jan-10, 13:20
So smokers all get free prescriptions? I didn't know that. :D
changilass
17-Jan-10, 13:22
Lets not give inhalers to folks who smoke or have pets either, after all its their choice too.
Oh and whilst we are cost cutting, lets get rid of child benenfit, that was a choice too.
The list is endless of who some folks think shouldn't get any help.
should smokers get madications etc on prescription or should they have to pay for it.
i am not sure which side of the fence i am on. i know smokers have paid taxes with buying cigarettes. but if they didnt smoke in first place then they wouldnt need medication to stop.
just someone i know has been prescibed a drug to help them stop and to buy its £160 a month, which i think is very expensive for one person to get on prescription through his own stupidity of starting smoking.
would just like peoples thoughts, thank you
But thats like saying if you have medical problems due to being overweight you should have to pay for the medical fees because its your own fault for not eating and exercising properly.
I blame the government because such an addictive product should have been banned and illegal to sell years ago.
I think its a good idea to have these stop smoking aids on prescription it would be cheaper to go that way instead of the problem developing and putting a bigger cost on the nhs.
I do think the legal age for smoking should be raised to 25 and someone of the age of 25 would be mature enough to make a sensible choice than someone of 18 plus a better way to stop people smoking is target the younger generation so they cant smoke until 25 and by then hopefully they wont want to smoke i think its to late to target the older generation because the damage is done all u can do is try to reduce it by prescriptions
They should pay..IMO.it was their choice to start smoking...and is their choice to stop.Good luck to them all.:D
exactly, im sure there are so many more uses for the nhs to spend their money.
its regards cancer that i am on the fence a bit about.
and if someone can afford to smoke, then surely they can afford the aids to stop.
Shabbychic
17-Jan-10, 13:57
its regards cancer that i am on the fence a bit about.
and if someone can afford to smoke, then surely they can afford the aids to stop.
So you are on the fence regarding smokers being treated for cancer? Or is it that you feel smokers should pay for cancer treatment? :confused
no, see i think they should get cancer treatment.
its just i dont think they should get like nicotine patches and other drugs to help them stop smoking free.
if they can afford to puff away lots of money a week on fags then why cant they just go to the chemist and buy the patches instead of getting it free.
may be i shoudlnt of started this thread but i just wanted peoples opinions.
Shabbychic
17-Jan-10, 14:40
First of all, smokers do not all get free prescriptions. Secondly, many smokers want to give up smoking because they can't afford it. They may enjoy smoking but find it is now too expensive. Therefore if they had to pay similar or more for NRT, there would be no incentive to give it up. So help with the cost of quitting is not always a bad thing.:)
I am an ex smoker and a cancer sufferer( not one associated with smoking.) I stopped smoking over 14 yrs ago on my own with no help from patches or anything else. Should i have been refused cancer treatment or made to pay for it. Well if that is the case i am afraid i would have died along with countless others.
I am strong willed, but not everyone is. Why should smokers pay for treatment fo a drug addiction, other addicts do not, and for an addiction that the goverment profits from.
tonkatojo
17-Jan-10, 14:49
Lets not give inhalers to folks who smoke or have pets either, after all its their choice too.
Oh and whilst we are cost cutting, lets get rid of child benenfit, that was a choice too.
The list is endless of who some folks think shouldn't get any help.
I'm with Changi on this.
You can add methadone and contraception;) to her list as well, along with multitudes of others.
So smokers all get free prescriptions? I didn't know that. :D
No they do have to a certain degree. My partner paid half for his when he got patches. Paid about a fiver for 2 packs i think it was. It was a year ago now though and baby brain makes it hard to remember things ;)
I am an ex smoker and a cancer sufferer( not one associated with smoking.) I stopped smoking over 14 yrs ago on my own with no help from patches or anything else. Should i have been refused cancer treatment or made to pay for it. Well if that is the case i am afraid i would have died along with countless others.
I am strong willed, but not everyone is. Why should smokers pay for treatment fo a drug addiction, other addicts do not, and for an addiction that the goverment profits from.
Very true Shazzap, well said ;)
The tax revenue raised from the tobbaco we smoke adds up to a tidy little sum. I think we should be allowed some of it back to help us stop when we decide or have to stop.........
Drug addicts and i mean the illegal drugs, get there substitutes free so why would smokers, after all it's a legal drug and the goverment isn't trying to stop us doing it, really is it !!!
The tax revenue raised from the tobbaco we smoke adds up to a tidy little sum. I think we should be allowed some of it back to help us stop when we decide or have to stop.........
Drug addicts and i mean the illegal drugs, get there substitutes free so why would smokers, after all it's a legal drug and the goverment isn't trying to stop us doing it, really is it !!!
Well said. ;)
cuddlepop
17-Jan-10, 16:13
If the prescriptions werent free, would that mean the uptake would be significantly less than if it were free.?
Afterall if smokers dont stop now arent they going to cost the NHS more in the long run.:confused
I read somewhere than some local authoritys were thinking about cash incentives to stop,that I dont agree with.:(
The tax revenue raised from the tobbaco we smoke adds up to a tidy little sum. I think we should be allowed some of it back to help us stop when we decide or have to stop.........
Drug addicts and i mean the illegal drugs, get there substitutes free so why would smokers, after all it's a legal drug and the goverment isn't trying to stop us doing it, really is it !!!
Agreed MR and may I also add that many of those who smoke and would like to stop have also contributed into the system as a whole over a number of years while many others collect ALL their prescriptions free without having put anything into the system.
As usual it's a case of the ordinary working man having to cough up (if you'll excuse the pun!) for everything while the idle get the lot.
I read somewhere than some local authoritys were thinking about cash incentives to stop,that I dont agree with.:(
Agreed, prescription for patches etc should be enough if anyone really wants to stop.
Agreed MR and may I also add that many of those who smoke and would like to stop have also contributed into the system as a whole over a number of years while many others collect ALL their prescriptions free without having put anything into the system.
As usual it's a case of the ordinary working man having to cough up (if you'll excuse the pun!) for everything while the idle get the lot.
Nail on the head springs to mind here. Spot on....
What about those people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs. They chose those things. Should they too be denied free treatment ??
What about those people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs. They chose those things. Should they too be denied free treatment ??
No they should not, did you know alcoholics get more money if on income support. Just to help them further with their addiction.
Get rid of the drug dealers by making drugs available on prescription and then weaning addicts off.
ShelleyCowie
17-Jan-10, 17:58
What about those people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs. They chose those things. Should they too be denied free treatment ??
I say no! Being an alcoholic is a sickness, being a drug addict is a sickness. I dont think addiction is taken seriously anymore.
Im sure there are thousands of people out there who want to stop smoking, drinking or taking drugs but the addiction is hard to kick!
Just like obese people i guess, should they be denied diabetes treatment, high blood pressure tablets etc etc?
I cant seem to kick my crisp addiction :confused wonder if they have anything for that on the nhs?
but surely the cost of providing patches etc for smokers wanting to stop is recouped tenfold in the long run by the NHS as they have to spend less on treating smoking illnesses ....
toodiemac
17-Jan-10, 19:09
A quick look at this site
http://www.the-tma.org.uk/tobacco-tax-revenue.aspx
shows that last year alone £10 billion was raised as tax and VAT from the sale of tobacco, so perhaps without smokers there would be no NHS at all for everyone else!
What is the annual NHS spend in this country anyway - anybody know? Maybe smokers alone are funding this great free health service we all take for granted ;)
(I don't smoke by the way)
toodiemac
17-Jan-10, 19:16
Oh, and statistically smokers die younger, which must contribute massively to the NHS budget as well because they won't need treated for age-related diseases.
Maybe taking all this into account, rather than getting free nicotine patches, they should be getting vouchers to use towards their fags instead! ;)
Oh, and statistically smokers die younger, which must contribute massively to the NHS budget as well because they won't need treated for age-related diseases.
Maybe taking all this into account, rather than getting free nicotine patches, they should be getting vouchers to use towards their fags instead! ;)
Maybe you are right, in my case that would leave the goverment to find homes for my children, that would cost them a bit.And what about lazy people who over eat they seem to be costing nhs quite a bit with thier habbits also lets give them food vouchers! Oh and alcoholics wine vouchers,infact anyone with a habit of any sort vouchers :)
I wonder how many would be left if we were all honest about our habits, which not many of us are willing to admit.I smoke but not a lot, drink very little,and eat very healthly, and am quite active.
I do think for any addiction some help should be given, but in moderation .
I think stopping smoking is all in the mind. I dont think these patches etc stop people from smoking. In fact i know some who wear the patches and still smoke.
I must admit, i do get annoyed with people taking their inhalers for chest problems then lighting a cigarette. what is the point pf medication there? Have you ever been past the chest ward at Raigmore hos[pital (before the smoking ban) when all the chest/lung patients were sitting outside smoking? Medication is a waste of money if the person wont stop smoking.
I say no! Being an alcoholic is a sickness, being a drug addict is a sickness. I dont think addiction is taken seriously anymore.
Im sure there are thousands of people out there who want to stop smoking, drinking or taking drugs but the addiction is hard to kick!
Just like obese people i guess, should they be denied diabetes treatment, high blood pressure tablets etc etc?
I cant seem to kick my crisp addiction :confused wonder if they have anything for that on the nhs?
Then there is chocolate too.!!!!:lol:
I think stopping smoking is all in the mind. I dont think these patches etc stop people from smoking. In fact i know some who wear the patches and still smoke.
I must admit, i do get annoyed with people taking their inhalers for chest problems then lighting a cigarette. what is the point pf medication there? Have you ever been past the chest ward at Raigmore hos[pital (before the smoking ban) when all the chest/lung patients were sitting outside smoking? Medication is a waste of money if the person wont stop smoking.
Spot on,Fran....;)
ShelleyCowie
18-Jan-10, 11:43
Then there is chocolate too.!!!!:lol:
How cud i forget chocolate! :eek: But im more a crisp person actually. Always have to have a wide variety of crisps in. :) I dont eat them by the dozen....but i have been known too lol
purplelady
18-Jan-10, 23:24
I say yes they should be free being an ex smoker who gave up with the aid of patches i got them and had to pay but i do think they should be free, yes we know smoking is bad for us but we still do it ,and it is an addiction like any other it is not easy to give up i know but surely any help we get is good and if we get free help all the better .
Smokers only get help to quit for a month or two as well as the councelling that goes with the treatment from a trained advisor. Some people will never give up despite the health benifits being pointed out to them.
My sister-in-law was on high dose patches and smoking too 'but I only had 5 cigarettes today', didn't really wash with us but there is just no helping some people! Some people do get hooked though on the gum etc but the NHS will still only pay for their treatment for so long, not indefinately even though they will still try it on with the staff. Met a guy that had been using the gum for 5 years and felt that he shouldn't have to pay for it as it was £5 a packet. Did point out that he'd pay about that for a packet of cigarettes.
One thing that annoyed me a while back was a lady using her cigarette inhalator in the post office in town. Don't think she would really have smoked in the post office normally, do you? So much for using it when you might normally have a cigarette and as little as possible, decreasing day by day!
Whitewater
19-Jan-10, 00:50
Don't really know which way to comment on this thread. I used to be a smoker, quite heavy as well, but luckily I managed to stop in 1977. There were no patches then, it was difficult, I carried a pack of cigarettes with me for about a month before I felt confident enough to throw them away. I carried the cigarettes because I decided that if I got too gurny I was going to have one anyway, but it also gave me the opportunity to say that I would have one in a wee while when the craving got too strong. I guess the packet of fags acted as a comforter.
I have a few friends who were on patches but they began smoking again after a month or two. I don't think patches or gum are a good idea because they keep nicotine in your system, maybe the craving lessens, I don't know. But I do know that it takes a long time to get the nicotine out of the system, and it has to be out if you are to loose the craving, you can't get a pure system with patches or gum.
Should the treatment be free?? I think it should be, but for a limited time only, then you have to go "cold turkey" Maybe the packet of fags in the pocket or handbag may be the answer, I don't know, but it worked for me.
Aaldtimer
19-Jan-10, 04:08
One thing that annoyed me a while back was a lady using her cigarette inhalator in the post office in town. Don't think she would really have smoked in the post office normally, do you? So much for using it when you might normally have a cigarette and as little as possible, decreasing day by day!
Why should this annoy you? Did it create any smoke? No!
People used to smoke in all sorts of places before the righteous descended on them.
Your objection to this is just ludicrous![evil]
I don't get why on earth someone getting NRT for 8 to 12 weeks at a discounted (not free) price would annoy so many of you so much :confused
Surely if it is helping people stop smoking then it is worth it, it isn't free, it is the cost of a prescription and this is on the condition you see a counsellor for the duration.
I would be interested to find out the manufactuors mark up on NRT.
I am amazed that someone using an inhalator in the post office would annoy anyone, I doubt I would have even noticed and if I had I would have just thought Good Luck.
Boozeburglar
19-Jan-10, 17:09
We should develop these drugs ourselves and then we would not be at the mercy of the drug companies.
I think smokers should be means tested in relation to cessation assistance.
:)
why should smokers get free prescriptions to stop smoking?if they can waste £5+ on a pack of ciggies then they can afford to buy their own presciptions
why should smokers get free prescriptions to stop smoking?if they can waste £5+ on a pack of ciggies then they can afford to buy their own presciptions
They get the NRT on prescription but still pay the price of the prescription, smokers do not get free prescriptions simply because they are smokers :confused
why should smokers get free prescriptions to stop smoking?if they can waste £5+ on a pack of ciggies then they can afford to buy their own presciptions
The only people that gets free prescriptions are as follows
If you are aged 60 or over.
If you are under 16.
If you are aged 16, 17 or 18 and in full-time education.
If you are pregnant, or have had a baby in the previous 12 months, and have an exemption certificate (see below).
If you have a listed medical condition and have an exemption certificate (see below).
If you are an NHS in-patient.
If you (or your partner) gets one of the following:
Income Support.
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
Pension Credit Guarantee Credit.
If you are entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate.
Some war pensioners - if treatment is connected with the pensionable disability.
I think stopping smoking is all in the mind. I dont think these patches etc stop people from smoking. In fact i know some who wear the patches and still smoke.
I must admit, i do get annoyed with people taking their inhalers for chest problems then lighting a cigarette. what is the point pf medication there? Have you ever been past the chest ward at Raigmore hos[pital (before the smoking ban) when all the chest/lung patients were sitting outside smoking? Medication is a waste of money if the person wont stop smoking.
Smoking whilst wearing one of the patches will cause nicotine posioning. Smoking while wearing a patch bascially times the amount of nicotine the body takes in by ten times. My partner did this once whilst wearing a patch. He was out with his friends and gave in through peer pressure and the alcohol making the craving much harder to resist. He felt awful after half a fag and never did it again. In fact he has been off the fags for almost a year now but still when he has a drink it plaques him briefly. To stay this long he has shyed away from the drink as it almost makes it worse. He used the patches as they helped him. He was determined to stay off the cigs and the patches helped when he needed a bit of help. Of course having me there to pull the fag out of his mouth when he gave in twice as a friend who was with him was smoking helped alot too. He's done well and i'm proud of him. Now our child is an even bigger incentive for him to stay off them as he doesn't want to harm our child's health.
I agree with you about people with medication to help them but they keep lighting up. It's pretty much the same when it comes to any addiction though as why would you give a new liver to someone who has no interest in stopping drinking or give medication to a drug addict when they have no interest in staying of the drugs or even problems people have because of their weight but have no interest in losing weight. If people don't want to help themselves then why should the nhs waste resources trying to save them when they're not interested in helping themselves? May seem harsh to some but what can you call it when the person in question doesn't want to help themselves?
why should smokers get free prescriptions to stop smoking?if they can waste £5+ on a pack of ciggies then they can afford to buy their own presciptions
Totally pointless post. Well done.
Buying a packet of Cigarettes is not a waste to someone who smokes, we don't buy them for fun.
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