preview

Alcoholics Should NOT Be Eligible to Receive Organ Transplants

Good Essays
Open Document

In modern medicine, we have the ability to transplant organs from one person to another, with the hopes that this will greatly improve the length and quality of life for the patient receiving the transplant. Ten years ago, there were 53,167 people on the transplant list. By the beginning of 2015, the list increased to over 123,000 people waiting for that miracle call stating that they found a match and the transplant can now happen. One reason for the increase in people on the list is that people in the age group between 50-70 years old are now considered to be viable candidates for transplant due to medical advances. However, by December, 2014, twenty-one people were dying each day while waiting for a transplant. (Benjamin Samstein, …show more content…

There is even a possibility of creating embryonic stem cells from the patient by cloning their own cells. (Perry) A person, who has trashed their body with alcoholism and required a transplant, should not be eligible for a second transplant if they again were abusing alcohol. Especially over a person, to no fault of their own, is battling a liver disease. In an article from the Canadian Medical Association Journal by E. Kluge, he states that “people who engage in poor lifestyle choices are behaving irresponsibly and could have prevented their illness and are, in essence, increasing the need for organs and depriving people who have no control over their need of necessary treatment.” (Kluge, 2004) People suffering from psychosis, dementia, Down Syndrome, malignant cancers, and continuing substance or not eligible for transplants, active alcoholics are not eligible because of their unhealthy lifestyle would only result in the failure of the new liver. Based on long term studies of alcoholism, remissions and relapses, there are factors that indicate favorable outcomes. If the patient is involved in activities to take the place of the drinking, being in a caring long-term relationship and having a positive self esteem will help with sobriety. If at least two of these factors are present, the patient is more likely to remain abstinent for three years or more. (Abhinandana Anantharaju) When a doctor is faced with whether or not to

Get Access