Quote:
Originally Posted by NewIreland
Canada spends almost a trillion dollars annually on social programs. We spent billions on anti-smoking campaigns... millions of people still smoke. We spent billions on healthy eating initiatives... millions of people still have an unhealthy addiction to fast food in this country. Acting on the symptom (for this fool) is to send a very strong message that getting clean, changing your behavior, and accessing the social problems that are there for people who want to and/or MUST change is the ONLY OPTION. Right now, getting high, robbing people, assaulting people, and basically doing whatever you want with impunity is an option. That option needs to be taken off the table.
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Anti-smoking campaigns have actually be very successful. They hammered anti-smoking ads, getting more and more visual and gruesome over time. Late 60s, 50% of Canadians 15+ smoked, now we're at 15% and still dropping. They really didn't leave any stone unturned. TV, radio ads, packaging ads, school education, health provider education etc... It went from something that is culturally social and cool to do to something most people find repulsive now. Go to Europe, where anti-smoking wasn't as aggressive. and smoking rates are sitting around 28%. A lot more noticeable when walking in the streets than here.
I can imagine if a true hard-core anti junk food campaign started then the same can happen on that front. Imagine getting a 50% tax on chips and drinks and fast food, directly reinvested in prevention, education and healthcare? People would start paying their share of the healthcare burden.
Yes there are still smokers, yes they still cost the health system money, but these things take a while to turn around. I understand your feeling that people MUST be willing to change if they are in that situation, much like a current smoker MUST to be willing to quit and put in the work to quit smoking. BUT if someone grows up without the social context where smoking is accessible, or cool, or fun, then they are much less likely to smoke, meaning less smoking related healthcare costs from that person never involved in smoking.
Similar for obesity and inactivity. Someone that was a healthy weight and active as a child is much less likely to be obese and inactive as an adult. We all know too many adults that struggle to lose weight because the environment around them is so that encourages weight gain and inactivity. If their life was structured in a way that encouraged active and healthy choices then it is a lot easier for them to manage their health.
Same for crime. Yes statistically someone involved in crime is hard to rehab and reintegrate into society, especially hard crimes and drugs. BUT if the social programs can exist to catch youth BEFORE they caught up in the life of crime where they otherwise would have would be, then a reduction in crime will follow.
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