More high-risk activities than just sports

Re: “High-risk athletes should pay more,” letter, March 5.

The letter-writer argued that individuals who choose to participate in high-risk sports should pay more for health care. The writer expressed frustration that individuals who require other forms of immediate medical attention are bumped by “countless athletes.”

At the foundation of this reasoning, the writer is stating that those individuals who willingly partake in high-risk activities should pay more for health care. OK sure, let’s do this, but why arbitrarily stop at sports? Let’s look at all the activities people willingly partake in that result in a high number of hospital visits: smoking, drinking, drug use, obesity from indolence and overindulgence, and the list goes on.

Is the writer willing to charge all these people extra as well? How many expensive ambulance trips are made every day in Victoria to deal with a drug overdose? How many heart attacks are the result of people too lazy to get off the chesterfield and go for a walk?

When one considers all these other high-risk pursuits, one will find that the number of athletes clogging up the health-care system is quite small in comparison. Athletes choose to partake in sport for their health, for the wonderful feelings that result from activity, to connect with nature, and to connect with other like-minded individuals. Injuries are an unfortunate side effect if they happen, but the benefits are beyond measure. This is more than I can say about the payoff of other high-risk pursuits.

Christoph Dettling Victoria