Do you think people should be payed for donating blood? Or should it remain voluntary?

i think its a great incentive.... and why shouldnt we, we get paid to donate plasma?? great thought!!!

voluntary all the way!! i dont think getting paid would be right, people need to help out other people without being greedy and expecting something in return. I went to a blood drive recently where they gave out a free movie pass with the donation but i didnt know that till i got there. There is no problem with the current process so why change it?

Well, they pay you for Plasma, thats not too bad, but blood donation should still be voluntary. I mean, no ones putting a gun to your head to make you do it. and they always give you a free t-shirt or a mug. or something. It is a good incentive, but then again...alot of people who had bad diseases like hepatitus, or other would lie and donate just for the money.

Having worked in a commercial (for pay) blood center in the past the truth of the matter is simply that without the commercial centers, the supply of blood and blood products would be insufficient for the needs of the population. Aside from transfusions, blood products are used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and in research. Without the commercially obtained blood supply, some industries would just grind to a halt.

But what's really needed is better testing of the blood supply. For example, if someone travels to England and eats meat while there, they are disqualified from donating in the US because of fear that they might be carrying Jakob-Kreusfelt(?), ie Mad Cow, virus or bacteria. This is insanity.

I think it should be voluntary because if it wasn't then people would do it way to much for the money and they could get sick... I think if there was a very very high increase in the need for blood that they could start paying people though

I donate blood because i know that it helps save lives. I believe that it should remain a voluntary non paying way to support your community. However, just so you know, in some larger cities around the U.S. you are paid for such services. I am not sure why they do it. Maybe its because they are always in short supply.

I don't think that getting payed would be a good idea because you would get a lot of 'scum' trying to donate for the cash. Keeping it voluntary decreases the amount of blood that would have to be thrown away.

I think voluntary is working. If people stop giving blood - then they will probably have to starting paying people for it.

I think it should always be voluntary. You get too many ummmm....."undesirables" selling their blood if you start to pay for it.

Their blood may be quite unusable and that would be a waste of the time for the nurses who attend the blood donor clinics and the labs that have to test the blood.

I think it should be kept incentive, because it your choice, they don't make you give your blood. So keep it voluntary.

If it is called 'donation' it should be voluntary - by definition.

In several countries cash compensation for blood is routinely made. Cash for blood should not be objectionable provided there is no coercion involved.