Risk Management
People willingly, sometimes eagerly, do deliberate damage to themselves. Smoking is known to be carcinogenic. Excessive alcohol intake is known to lead inevitably to liver damage and extreme damage to other internal organs. Drinking and driving becomes a death sentence for someone, perhaps not the driver, some other unfortunate soul. Taking recreational drugs gets readily out of hand and addictions set in.
Although not quite in the same category, extremes of anything are essentially and predictably potentially harmful to the practitioner. Extremes, such as in pursuing extreme 'sports' or recreational hobbies like sky diving, bungee jumping, rock climbing. Daring, adventuresome, fun, but that element of danger is always there, and there will always be people willing to take a chance for the rush they get.
And then there's another issue, among others; extreme 'body art'. As in tongue splitting, scarification, and design branding. These initiatives to make oneself really different in appearance don't appeal to too many people, not quite like body piercing with bits of metal dangling from lips and tongues and bellies, but there are those for whom this appears an attractive option. So be it.
They are, after all, presumably adults, mature enough to make their own decisions. The risks are theirs. Except that in societies such as ours, concerned with the well-being of our citizens, and with universal health care, there is an outreach by health inspectors to try to determine the extent of the risks involved. Too bad, in a sense; if someone wants to risk their health, why intervene?
But Ottawa Public Health feels a distinct obligation to do just that. And they are citing the need for a bigger budget and additional health inspectors in an effort to maintain the integrity and frequency of their investigative protocols and systems. Tattoo and piercing studios are encompassed within the city's high-risk, personal-service category, with 212 high-risk personal-service facilities in place.
The City of Ottawa currently has 45 inspectors available to inspect various health institutions, long-term care facilities, nursing homes and hospitals. Add to that group the above-noted, along with acupuncture clinics and nail salons, tanning salons, and doubtless a host of others. One can see the need for inspection of hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities; right.
But places that offer 'body modification procedures'? On their own heads be it. Women have met their deaths at health spas through body 'purification' techniques and liposuction; will any amount of health inspections put a stop to these body enhancement opportunities? If people convince themselves that they will improve themselves and their lives through these pursuits, they will proceed to do just that.
Society cannot protect its entire population from taking the initiative to do things that are unwise, that may lead to injury and even death. Those who take such risks are adults, making (one would assume) fully informed decisions. We cannot manage the risks that all people choose of their free will, to make on their own behalf.
Period.
Although not quite in the same category, extremes of anything are essentially and predictably potentially harmful to the practitioner. Extremes, such as in pursuing extreme 'sports' or recreational hobbies like sky diving, bungee jumping, rock climbing. Daring, adventuresome, fun, but that element of danger is always there, and there will always be people willing to take a chance for the rush they get.
And then there's another issue, among others; extreme 'body art'. As in tongue splitting, scarification, and design branding. These initiatives to make oneself really different in appearance don't appeal to too many people, not quite like body piercing with bits of metal dangling from lips and tongues and bellies, but there are those for whom this appears an attractive option. So be it.
They are, after all, presumably adults, mature enough to make their own decisions. The risks are theirs. Except that in societies such as ours, concerned with the well-being of our citizens, and with universal health care, there is an outreach by health inspectors to try to determine the extent of the risks involved. Too bad, in a sense; if someone wants to risk their health, why intervene?
But Ottawa Public Health feels a distinct obligation to do just that. And they are citing the need for a bigger budget and additional health inspectors in an effort to maintain the integrity and frequency of their investigative protocols and systems. Tattoo and piercing studios are encompassed within the city's high-risk, personal-service category, with 212 high-risk personal-service facilities in place.
The City of Ottawa currently has 45 inspectors available to inspect various health institutions, long-term care facilities, nursing homes and hospitals. Add to that group the above-noted, along with acupuncture clinics and nail salons, tanning salons, and doubtless a host of others. One can see the need for inspection of hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities; right.
But places that offer 'body modification procedures'? On their own heads be it. Women have met their deaths at health spas through body 'purification' techniques and liposuction; will any amount of health inspections put a stop to these body enhancement opportunities? If people convince themselves that they will improve themselves and their lives through these pursuits, they will proceed to do just that.
Society cannot protect its entire population from taking the initiative to do things that are unwise, that may lead to injury and even death. Those who take such risks are adults, making (one would assume) fully informed decisions. We cannot manage the risks that all people choose of their free will, to make on their own behalf.
Period.
Labels: Health, Ottawa, Realities, Social-Cultural Deviations
posted by Pieface @ 6:27 PM
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