Medical technology in Trek

[USSHermes]

I am interested in the day-to-day lives of people in the Trek universe - which made me think:

we have a lot of references to drinking, bloodwine, Romulan ale etc in Trek, but apart from that where are the other bad habits? Surely medical science has evolved to the point where people can drink, smoke etc to their heart's content with little consequences?

In Voyager however, Paris made some remark about smoking being a habit given up by his people years ago but why? Surely a transporter beam can filter out body carginogens and tar easily - or some kind of hand-held lung regenerator? (Although didn't Neelix have to make to with one lung?)

After all they play parrise squares and that's supposed to be very dangerous.

IIRC didn't Mccoy re-grow an old lady's organs in minutes in one of the trek movies?

 

[Marie1]

But for a habits that only have bad consequences, I'd imagine that people by then would give them up, or seek treatment for that which causes them to choose addictive activities. I find it shocking how much people abuse their bodies now. And doctors have other things to do, patients to treat, research to do, cures to find. To treat stuff that people did themselves cuts into that time.

 

[USSHermes]

To treat stuff that people did themselves cuts into that time.

Not really. Lung research is lung rearch. Liver research is liver research. What if your son was saved from a chronic lung condition by a treatment designed to help smokers?

 

[Timo]

So perhaps the Federation conducts research on people enticed to engage in unhealthy habits?

I don't see why anybody would keep on smoking if the bad effects are removed. Surely it would be more appealing to get one's nicotine dose by, say, drinking it? And an important "bad effect" is the smoke itself. It can't be rendered "harmless": its very presence will irritate people and make the smoker unpopular. How many will really go for smokeless cigarettes, i.e. flavored pacifiers?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[LLAP]

With regard to things like smoking, even without the health risks it is just really inconvenient. I know, I smoke 30 a day! Always looking for an ashtray thinking 'can I smoke here' and 'I wish the god damn plane would land i'm dying here'. lol

To be honest what I always wondered was why do people die at all from 'natural' causes. They should use Borg nanoprobes to repair the cells in your body so you are constantly rejuvinated and therefore cannot age.

 

[Mr. B]

Surely the holodeck has facilitated better vices than smoking.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

In the TNG ep. 'The Neutral Zone' Dr. Crusher healed Sonny Clemmons in a very short time. I believe it was stated that he had severe lung and liver damage and had died from substance abuse.

 

[Marie1]

To treat stuff that people did themselves cuts into that time.

Not really. Lung research is lung rearch. Liver research is liver research. What if your son was saved from a chronic lung condition by a treatment designed to help smokers?

Perhaps. But think of how many extra cases there are of various diseases because of "vices." Treating those people (and there are millions) takes time that could be spent doing the research.

 

[JustKate]

Besides, if we can accept that the Trek-era humans and others have become less violent and materialistic and so on than those of us here in the 21st century, why is it so unlikely that they would also have become mature enought to, at least sometimes, say "I'm not going to do this particular thing, not because it has irreversible consequences but just because it's silly."

 

[The Grim Ghost]

Also just because we didn't see anyone on camera doing it (other than that guy in Star Trek 5 and Iman in 6) that doesn't mean nobody does. It wouldn't surprise me if people on certain colony worlds smoked, maybe not tobacco but other herbs. No that isn't a weed joke. Why not? The health issues aren't a concern anymore.

 

[USSHermes]

We know for a fact that next gen humans engage in dangerous behaviour eg parisses squares. To my mind the only reason they don't engage in more dubious activity is beacuse they have the holodeck to induldge every fantasy.

 

[Myasishchev]

I'm surprised we ever see overweight people in Star Trek. It must be a cinch to beam fat right out. Like a five minute procedure, maybe even something you can do yourself.

And it gets thrown right back into the bulk matter for the replicators to turn into your dinner.

 

[Cap.Sicho Nosk]

I'm surprised we ever see overweight people in Star Trek. It must be a cinch to beam fat right out. Like a five minute procedure, maybe even something you can do yourself.

And it gets thrown right back into the bulk matter for the replicators to turn into your dinner.

LOL, yea i would assume this was true aswell. i always figured that generated food was essentally everything the humanoid body needs, shaped and prepared in an appitising manner.. which to me sugests that obesity in star trek, is a completely voluntary activity. the people are overweight because they want to be, lol