The Tricky Ethics of Transplants for Addicts
Many programs require liver recipients to be six months sober, but that policy may funnel organs away from the people they’re most likely to help.
“How many of you think we should do liver transplants for alcoholics?”
About half the hands were slowly raised, while the other members of the class looked around nervously. These were third-year medical students, and I was giving my monthly lecture on organ transplantation.
“How many of you think the potential recipient should have six months of absolute sobriety before being offered a transplant?”
This time, the majority raised their hands, and a look of confidence could be seen on most of the students’ faces.
“But what if they won’t live six months? What if the patient is a 37-year-old mother of three, or a 26-year-old college graduate who didn’t realize the damage
