Confused by the 'Health Index'

Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company, will be better known to smokers as the makers of Champix and all that that entails.

What you may not know is that Pfizer run a 'Health Index', obviously to let us know what we're up to health-wise. No surprise that the reports that money worries are leading to unhealthy behaviour.

No mention of unhealthy behaviour would be complete without at least honorary mention to the dreaded weed. To quote the Irish Examiner (Smoking and drinking rise as money worries hit home), "The survey finds smoking rose 3% – primarily among medical card holders". To mis-use a phrase, "The working class are revolting".

We are not told, though, how the Health Index numbers are collected. We know that when it suits some parties they will claim smoking numbers are down to 25 per cent. The SLAN survey suggests it's 27 per cent and Eurostar report it stands at 31 per cent of the population. So, this three per cent increase - which figure is it an increase on? I'm simply trying to establish the accuracy or otherwise of this Health Index.

It goes on to claim that "7% more people are drinking at home and 5% more in pubs, but two thirds are socialising less". How is it possible, I ask tongue in cheek, when 66% of the population are socialising less, that 5% more of that same population are going to the pubs?

Have you noticed a dramatic increase in lone tipplers sitting on the high stools grumbling menacingly to themselves? And seven per cent more people are drinking at home. These must be the medical card holders again because we know the credit card classes wouldn't dream of doing that.

Commenting on the Health Index, David Gallagher, managing director of Pfizer Healthcare Ireland, said the recession "was causing certain groups in society to embark upon escapist ill-advised behaviour" that would place a further burden on the health service.

Note the thinly veiled accusation - certain groups in society are a burden on society. Would that be the same groups who are unable to afford pharmaceutical medicines and need the assistance of a 'medical card' to combat illness?

Comments

[ann]

It seems to me that the Health Index (who they) are confused about figures that dont add up, just like our Govt's Finance Dept who discovered that the 3 and a half billion in their coffers didnt add up either.
Maybe its a case of Spin doctors not collaborating with the other Spin doctors or maybe its just the case that with so many statistics etc that are being spewed out to an ever eager media on nearly a daily basis, that they all get mixed up and confused.
But it doesent matter to them anyway, because they know they will never be held accountable or that no one will ever bother to question their statistics, apart from someone like Forest who can be shouted down by one of their, heavily funded and always available, poster boys like Luke Clancy of Ash.
And then they have the gall to implicate the beleagured medical card holders who are barely allowed to hold on to or qualify for one.
It would be a lucky medical card holder who would be able to afford a drink or even a fag in their own home when most cant even heat their homes.
When recently a friend who holds a medical card told me that she cannot get a bed in hospital for an eye operation for months and as a last resort her doc told her to present herself in A&E in hospital in the hope they will take her in before her sight deteriorates further, maybe a drink and a smoke will be the only option open for all of us heading into old age in the future and to quote Mr Gallagher of Pfizer - "to embark on escapist and ill advised behaviour".
What Mr Gallagher and his fellow Health and Safety Brigades needs is a large dose of reality before the IMF enforces it on these highly paid modern day Preachers.