In addition to the standard health warnings on cigarette packets, a set percentage e.g. 0.5% or 0.2% would contain a coupon for a free x-ray (different versions would be distributed such as lung, liver or kidney). This would give a smoker an opportunity to see the condition that their organs are in. It may also allow them to catch some health problems early if they are lucky.

For some, seeing the damage caused to them by smoking could be an incentive to quit.

Of course there would be many who wouldn't take advantage of this offer. If they choose to turn down free check-ups, then perhaps they could try to collect a complete set of coupons.

This would be a drain on the health service (Britain), but then again, smoking already is.
-- hidden truths, Sep 22 2005

P.S. before someone rushes in with an Advocacy MFD, I am not creating an argument for or against smoking. I am suggesting that people should be more aware of what is happening to their bodies.
-- hidden truths, Sep 22 2005


Yes but there is aware of it and then there is seeing it in front of you.
I suspect that the particularly heavy smokers may become jaded to this quickly. Someone who smokes maybe 10 cigarettes a day, on the other hand, would go through 182 or so packs of 20 a year. Even at 0.5%, you would be very lucky to get more than one a year. (Lucky not really being the operative word).
-- hidden truths, Sep 22 2005


How about celebrity cards of people who quit smoking? Face: Sean Connery Back: Sean Connery's Xray.
-- reensure, Sep 22 2005


I do not think that a chest Xray provide would provide much meaningful information to the general populace. If they knew they had a bullet in them somewhere they might be able to find it with the xray, but that is about it.
-- bungston, Sep 26 2005


//I think you underestimate the capabilities of the general populace//

Perhaps he doesn't. On TV, I once saw a guy who'd been exposed to smoke showing off his X-ray pic, and explaining that the dark areas were the smoke he'd inhaled.
-- Loris, Sep 26 2005


Whether UnaBubba or bungston are correct, having a chest Xray will likely convince the smokers that they are perfectly healthy, and act as another psychological prop maintaining the addiction.

As for smoking being a drain on the health service, I'd be interested to discover how much of the health service is funded directly by duty raised on cigarettes.
-- zen_tom, Sep 26 2005


Perhaps you are right. But I was working with the assumption that these would generally be more likely to end up in the hands of heavier smokers, who are more likely to have something wrong with them, or at least visible damage that a doctor could point out.
-- hidden truths, Sep 28 2005



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