Alcoholics and Liver Transplants Essay Example

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, severe scarring due to the heavy use of alcohol is by far the major cause of end-stage liver disease. Cohen and Martin do not believe that someone that has induced this disease by alcohol abuse is no less deserving of a liver transplant than someone that takes care of their self. They support the moral argument by stating, “If alcoholics should be penalized because of their moral fault, then all others who are equally at fault in causing their own medical needs should be similarly penalized”. One of the medical arguments that the authors combat is that liver transplants performed on alcoholics have a lower success rate then non-alcoholics.

Statistics are presented in the text to argue this notion which really strengthens this aspect of the argument. They