risking health insurance

As New Year's Eve approached, Regine, 29, faced a massive credit debt, along with mortgage interest rate increases and rising oil prices. Stressed, she resolved that the time had come when she had to cut all non-essential spending -- or lose her apartment -- and like millions of other people around the world she put quitting cigarettes on the top of her list of New Year resolutions.

"I couldn't bear to lose my apartment, not after I'd worked so hard to raise a deposit and keep up the monthly repayments," says Regine, "and if push came to shove I would rather starve than find myself back in a rented room."

"I'd tried to quit smoking many times before, what smoker hasn't?" sighs Regine, "and because it was so important for me to get out of debt I really needed to succeed this time -- there was absolutely no way I could justify wasting any more money on cigarettes, especially since my smoking habit yellows the ceiling of my living room so quickly that I have to pay to get a professional cleaner in every year."

"Having tried nicotine patches and gum before without any luck -- and having no willpower whatsoever -- I resolved to see my doctor and get fixed up with the latest quit smoking drug," says Regine, "but before I got that far I came across an article warning smokers about the suicidal side effects of the most popular new drug, Champix, and I freaked out."

"Apparently, there were 5,157 complaints about Champix in just one week in the USA where it is taken by four million people), and seven deaths and more than 1,300 complaints in the UK (where it is taken by a quarter of a million people)."

"I suppose if you divide the number of people taking the drug with the reported deaths and complaints the figure doesn't look too bad," says Regine, "but the thought of the slightest risk of ending up with a psychiatric problem and slashing my wrists was just too much for me to deal with."

"Even if the side effect was headaches, nausea and vomiting I still didn't think it was a good trade-off," says Regine. "If the whole purpose of taking the drug is to prevent withdrawal symptoms then why on earth would I take something that may cause equal if not worse problems?"

"If the drug cannot guarantee to make me feel good while relieving cravings and withdrawal symptoms, then it is utterly useless."

"Also, if the drug cannot guarantee to stop you smoking for at least a year it is also utterly useless," adds Regine, "and that seems to be the case with Champix, too. Only 22.5% of smokers on the drug had successfully quit in the trials. That is not a huge number and it probably consisted of strong will-power people who would have quit successfully with or without the drug."

"Pfizer, the drug company associated with Champix, has now been forced to add a suicidal warning on the product, but why was the drug allowed on the market in the first place if it is so dangerous?" asks Regine. "For God's sake, seven people have already died on this drug. It looks like the drug company, with a nod from the government, is just experimenting on us."

"We're just smokers, aren't we?" sighs Regine. "We're expendable human scum as far as the drug companies, the government and our health care systems are concerned. They don't care. It's as simple as that."

"Well, that put an end to my New Year resolution to quit smoking," says Regine. "If there are no guarantees to stop me smoking safely, then I'm doomed to remain a smoker. And, that being the case, the government is also a thief and a thug for increasing tobacco tax to the point where some people may have to lose their home."

"Crossing cigarettes off my list, that left health insurance, my automobile and my beauty salon expenses."

"Like cigarettes, driving and receiving beauty therapy make me feel good -- health insurance, on the other hand, is merely an insurance policy and is by far the most expensive bill I have to pay (because, ha ha, I disclosed I smoked and then I had to pay more)."

"It's a total care private health insurance -- I took it out over and above normal health care because I wanted first class care should I ever fall ill, here or overseas," explains Regine. "I have never used it in the seven years I've had it, and probably never will. It's an insurance policy, that's all."

"In the current climate of 'bash a smoker' -- and my trust in drug companies, governments and health care now being a big fat zero -- I had a sinking feeling that should I ever end up needing healthcare, the PC health insurance company could very well find a sneaky way to deny me what I needed on the basis of continued smoking."

"On that basis, I'd be a mug to keep on paying for something I'm never going to get."

"Once I deducted that huge expense from my salary I felt positively rich," laughs Regine. "I figure that I should be able to pay off my credit debt within the year, if I'm careful, and I don't have to stress myself unnecessarily by trying to stop smoking again."

"And stress is what it's all about."

"I know it sounds bad that people have to go without health insurance in order to keep their homes -- or choose cigarettes over health insurance," says Regine, "but when you factor in the incredible stress of daily life and trying to make ends meet you really are way ahead in health and happiness once you cut out a huge expense you really don't need."

"It's going to be happy new year for me after all," says Regine, "but my heart goes out to those four and a quarter million Champix guinea-pigs who are now back where they started, most of them a lot worse off for the experience, too."

Regine's story first appeared as suicidal quit smoking drug