A Japanese doctor has apologised after saying that people should smoke themselves to an early death to save the country money on elderly care, according to his hospital.
“It is clear that medical costs will increase if non-smoking spreads,” the doctor said last week, according to Ida Hospital in Kawasaki City. “It’s better that people smoke a lot and die early.”
I’m sorry, but when I saw this (on Yahoo! News) I realised I pretty much had to make a blog post about it. Apparently at some big meeting of leading doctors in Japan, one of them busts out this golden gem, that the only way for Japan to relieve the stress of it’s shrinking population is to have everyone smoke themselves to death to stop them claiming a pension and so on.
The best part of the quote is definitely the idea of non-smoking spreading, as it if’s some sort of horrible disease the nature is succumbing to. I’d love to see a movie where a few smokers fight off wave after wave of anti smoking campaigners and nicotine gum packs, fighting so their children might live in a world where everyone smokes.
Fortunately, it’s not all bad news. Smoking is on the decline in Japan, and awareness about it’s affects and so on is getting better. But that’s ok, because I think I’ve come up with a solution that will make everyone this doctor happy!
Smoke fireworks!
The biggest problem with smoking yourself to death is that it takes time, has a lot of horrible pain and suffering, and thus the country has to pay for your health care and so on whilst the process takes it’s time. BUT NO MORE! Smoke some fireworks! Success! Instant gratification! Well, I’m not sure if gratification is the word…
Anyway I look forward to this exciting expose becoming world health news. Or possibly the cops finding my home.
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I can’t believe people say that. I heard he apologised for his comments though.
wow, with those comments, he certainly fired up activists and sparked a debate. I guess that his idea is now up in smoke. :-)