Sen. Thomas Saviello will introduce a bill preventing people on MaineCare (Medicaid) from receiving medical help if they smoke, because an unidentified constituent sees MaineCare patients with respiratory problems who smoke, thus making taxpayers subsidize treatment for avoidable illnesses.

How does anyone know how much anyone else smokes? Does that unidentified person follow people around counting their cigarette butts?

Exactly how would this bill work? Would stores report people who buy cigarettes? Would surveillance cameras be installed in smokers’ homes? Would we have “no smoking” police?

Many smokers try repeatedly but can’t quit. Do we let them suffer? What happens to children of smokers? No medical care for them?

Who is next? No MaineCare for alcoholics, bicyclers without helmets, overweight people, arthritic over-exercisers, hunters or ice fishermen who risk gunshot wounds or hypothermia, lazy people who don’t exercise, potato chip eaters (too much salt), handicapped people who can’t exercise, drivers who text, people who don’t eat their vegetables, those who get hurt because they pick fights, drive badly or skateboard?

Anti-smoking programs are a good idea, as is encouraging healthy habits for all of us.

Cutting off health care is a bad idea.

Ellen Field, New Gloucester