Organ Donation - Do they deserve a second chance?

Do you believe that people who continuously abuse their bodies through excessive drinking, smoking, drugs, alcohol, over-eating and many other harmful behaviours should have an unfettered right to an organ transplant? And God forbid, should the first transplant fail, should they then be put on a waiting list to receive another organ?

This is where my aggravated annoyance kicks in. We only need visit a hospital to see just how many sick and dying people require donor transplants. Donors are hard to come by. Not everyone who dies donates their organs, so there is not an abundant amount of them available. It is then up to the specialists to decide who gets them first.

Should the donated kidney be given to Mr Obesity, who knew he was at critical point but refused to exercise, refused to eat a balanced healthy diet, and carefully sneaks a chocolate bar into the cupboard beside his hospital bed? Or should the kidney go to someone who would benefit more from it?

Should the  donated lung go to Mrs Smoker, who can hardly breathe, barely able to walk, wearing a dressing gown, with one hand holding the stand of the hospital 'drip' whilst the other grasps a cigarette. She puffs away in the hospital gardens, fumigating all and sundry. I have seen this on many occasions and it saddens yet sickens me. 

Most people will have heard of George Best, a famous footballer in England. He was an alcoholic who died in 2005. He had a liver transplant in 2002 via the National Health Service. In 2003 he was caught drinking again (not to mention his drunk driving episodes). George openly continued to drink before and after the transplant.  It was like kicking sand in my face. Alcoholic cirrhosis is just one of the biggest reasons for requiring a liver transplant. The organ he received could have gone to someone more deserving. 

With such a history, is there a possibility that he was deemed to fit the criteria because he was famous? Just one of my wild thoughts again. 

What about all the thousands of others on the waiting list? Most of them will die waiting for a heart, kidney or liver. They chose to live a healthy life but found themselves in unfortunate situations, such as being diagnosed with an illness, having a severe accident or even the effects of medication through no fault of their own. Why weren't they shoved to the front of the queue? 


Bloggers and guests:
What is your honest opinion about donation of organs to people who have clearly abused their own bodies?
Would you consider donating parts of your body after death or even donating your whole body to science?
It would be great to hear your views.