Wednesday, July 9, 2008, 7:50pm
In 1992, three surgeons at a major hospital here that specializes in organ transplants met in the hospital's cafeteria to informally discuss the California Legislature's effort to enact a mandatory motorcycle helmet law.
"This looks like it might pass," one doctor said. The others nodded. "This could have serious consequences for the hospital."
"How so?" asked the doctor sitting closest to him.
"Motorcycle fatalities are not only our No. 1 source of organs, they are also the highest quality source of organs because donors are usually young, healthy people with no other traumatic injuries to the body, except to the head," the first doctor answered. "Studies have shown that when helmet laws are enacted, motorcycle deaths significantly decrease. The hospital already has serious financial issues to deal with. This could put us out of business -- or at least the business of organ transplants."
...
Just then the third doctor stood up and said: "I'm a member of the hospital's ethics committee, and I can tell you, as physicians, we can't even have this conversation." With that, she left the room.