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Invasion of the Body Snatchers
theodp writes "Newsweek reports that a grim trade in stolen human tissue isn't just the stuff of Robin Cook novels. Demand for the tissue, which is used in such procedures as joint and heart-valve replacements, back surgery, dental implants and skin grafts, has driven the price for a single harvested body up to $7,000. Many unsuspecting recipients are now rushing to doctors to be tested for tainted tissue."
Honestly, how do you tell the difference between good tissue from a legitimate source and good tissue from an illegal source? If they didn't fuck up, conceivably you won't notice...
It's only an insult if it's not true.
Lawyers for all the men have insisted their clients did nothing illegal
Forging death certificates? Supplying stolen, possibly diseased, human tissue to medical facilities, which presumably are going to give it to patients who are already ill? And they argue that there's nothing illegal about this?
The lawyers themselves should almost be on trial.
Makes me hope for a day when cloning techniques allow replacements to be grown from your own cells.
Of course, that still won't stop sh*t like this. Part of this problem stems from the fact that we're so paranoid about human parts(mostly deservably), that demand outstrips supply enough to inflate values into the stratosphere.
There's always somebody willing to save a buck by introducing or substituting substandard materials.
I don't read AC A human right
I've been in a certain central-american country where they'd kill you for your passport, because they could sell it fo a measly $500.
Oh, you're not stuck, you're just unable to let go of the onion rings.
If it's harvested illegally, the donor or the donor's next-of-kin can get paid. Otherwise under present US law they can't. Getting paid would motivate people to donate who would not otherwise donate.
Thus, illegally harvesting good tissue for transplant makes excellent economic sense and would save lives. Unfortuntely, since the transaction is illegal, contract law doesn't apply and it's hard to get a positive reputation without getting caught. It's a shame that legislators are so willing to make laws that obviously cause the death of innocent people, and that voters are stupid enough to tolerate that behavior.