Cure alcoholism: donate a kidney

Many forms of self-control involve tying the hands of our future selves; putting the alarm clock across the room so our 7 AM self will have to wake up and retrieve it; resolving to make expensive payments or donations unless behavior changes; disabling our Internet for eight hours at a time. I read recently that kidney donors cannot drink alcohol after their operations, because of the reduced ability of the organ to function. Because it is illegal to buy and sell kidneys in the USA, there is a long waiting list for the organs. I propose, with my tongue only slightly in my cheek, that we start a program for alcoholics committed to recovery to donate their kidneys, as a commitment device. After a kidney donation, you can't drink, period, which would put the donor on the path to recovery, financial stability, reunification of family ties, etc. Furthermore the waiting list would be reduced by one; a net benefit.

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