Petr Skrabanek (1940-94) was a Czech-born doctor, polemicist and literary scholar. He qualified in medicine in Ireland, and spent most of his career at the Medical School of Trinity College Dublin. He was an outspoken critic of modern medicine, particularly of what he called 'coercive healthism'. Skrabanek's sceptical and iconoclastic ideas are more relevant today than ever. This essay aims to rekindle interest in his life and work.
Keywords: Skrabanek; environmental tobacco smoke; healthism; medicalisation.