Responsibility and healthcare

Lifestyle choices are a very significant and increasing contributor to the global burden of disease. Because these disorders arise from people’s choices, some ethicists argue that people should be held responsible for their ensuing need for treatment. Given that medical resources are scarce, the question arises whether priority should be given to those who are not responsible for their medical condition. Professor Savulescu aims to answer this question. The project involves how and why people make the choices they do, including those who promote healthy or unhealthy choices. It requires understanding of substances such as alcohol and tobacco, the addiction involved with them and the health problems arising as a result of their consumption.