damn the muse

While it's certainly a comfort to know that in Pennsylvania there's a less likely chance that you'll will be run into by a drunk driver; there's also the unfortunate circumstance that there's no doctor-patient confidentiality, especially if you can handle your liquor.

Now, I'm not saying that the doctor shouldn't be concerned that this guy was drinking more than a 6 pack a day. I'd be concerned too if this guy was swerving down my street everyday and showing a history of bad work performance, etc. The thing is, he wasn't. There's more to it than that. What about confidentiality? What about due process? The guy hasn't had a conviction in over 20 years when he was a young adult, and he doesn't drive drunk. He goes in to the hospital for heart problems, confides in his doctor his habits, and the next thing he knows his license is revoked. What's next? 3 drinks on a weekend? 2 drinks?

While the state may have a legitimate concern in keeping drunk drivers off the roads, it shouldn't be at the extent of one's privacy, and doctors have no business divulging this information.