Possible Military Tobacco BAN

[phatmax]

[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]
Ban on tobacco urged in military

Ban on Tobacco Urged in Military

By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Pentagon health experts are urging Defense Secretary Robert Gates to ban the use of tobacco by troops and end its sale on military property, a change that could dramatically alter a culture intertwined with smoking.
Jack Smith, head of the Pentagon's office of clinical and program policy, says he will recommend that Gates adopt proposals by a federal study that cites rising tobacco use and higher costs for the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs as reasons for the ban.

The study by the Institute of Medicine, requested by the VA and Pentagon, calls for a phased-in ban over a period of years, perhaps up to 20. "We'll certainly be taking that recommendation forward," Smith says.

A tobacco ban would confront a military culture, the report says, in which "the image of the battle-weary soldier in fatigues and helmet, fighting for his country, has frequently included his lit cigarette."

Also, the report said, troops worn out by repeated deployments often rely on cigarettes as a "stress reliever." The study found that tobacco use in the military increased after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began.

Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the department supports a smoke-free military "and believes it is achievable." She declined to elaborate on any possible ban.

One in three servicemembers use tobacco, the report says, compared with one in five adult Americans. The heaviest smokers are soldiers and Marines, who have done most of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the study says. About 37% of soldiers use tobacco and 36% of Marines. Combat veterans are 50% more likely to use tobacco than troops who haven't seen combat.

Tobacco use costs the Pentagon $846 million a year in medical care and lost productivity, says the report, which used older data. The Department of Veterans Affairs spends up to $6 billion in treatments for tobacco-related illnesses, says the study, which was released late last month.

Along with a phased-in ban, the report recommends requiring new officers and enlisted personnel to be tobacco-free, eliminating tobacco use on military installations, ships and aircraft, expanding treatment programs and eliminating the sale of tobacco on military property. "Any tobacco use while in uniform should be prohibited," the study says.

The military complicates attempts to curb tobacco use by subsidizing tobacco products for troops who buy them at base exchanges and commissaries, says Kenneth Kizer, a committee member and architect of California's anti-tobacco program.

Seventy percent of profits from tobacco sales — $88 million in 2005 — pays for recreation and family support programs, the study stays.

Strong leadership could make the military tobacco-free in five to 10 years, Kizer says. President Obama, he says, could set an example for the military by ending his own smoking habit once and for all. Last month, Obama said he is "95% cured" but "there are times when I mess up" and smoke.

[madurolover]

I remember when I was in the Army cigarettes were dirt cheap at the commisary, but not anymore. The military has been anti-tobacco for a while now.

[slyder]

back in WWI, WWII and Korea they used to include cigarettes in rations!! So its the governments fault they are spending $6 Billion on medical treatments! Theres gonna be alot of troops getting out voluntarily now if they do this. They might as well make drinking illegal for military too. Booze kills more troops than enemy bullets.

[QWKDTSN]

Good luck with that!

[DSturg369]

With plummeting morale in the Military as it is, I think this will be that proverbial straw on that camel's back.

Don't know about everyone else's train of thought on this matter, but I am getting pretty fed up with Big Brother's interventions and forced opinions on what is good for me. Said it before and I'll say it again, I see some rough times ahead for the US Govt. and the people getting tired of the BS.

[dj1340]

This does not bode well.

[suretolose]

I would like to say that there is absolutly no way, but with the way they push this anti- smoking crap you never know. when I was in the Navy one of the great perks was when your ship hit International waters the ship's store no longer charged tax on tobacco products. Everyone stocked up.

[phatmax]

I figure this is the logic driving it:

.mil personnel get .gov healthcare --->Ban tobacco because it "is too costly for the .gov healthcare system ---->National healthcare gets passed for civilans----> civilians who smoke can't get national healthcare.

Setting a precedent... sure to be followed with Alcohol, sugar, fat, motorcycles, guns....anything that has more risk then a wiffle ball.

Of course, the .gov is shooting themselves in a foot (with a rubber, non-lethal, bullet) by killing their revenue stream even faster as people lose jobs and spend less on non-essential items....

[Acesfull]

i'd quit the military before i give up cigar smoking

[slyder]

Originally Posted by Acesfull

i'd quit the military before i give up cigar smoking

Im with ya......and I LOVED the USAF!!! I still kick myself for getting out. Id be retiring this year or next if I woulda stayed in.

[afilter]

I know you are not soppose to say never, but my gut reaction is it will never happen, at least not in my carrer. We already have a hard enough time maintaining a drug free Military. Maybe this is no surprise to anyone, but I was amazed at how many kids smoke pot these days....to them it is nothing like beer when I was young.

I do agree theat tobacco use especially cigarettes is on the rise for some of the reasons cited. There were a ton of really young troops smoking during my recent deployment, sometimes just socially.

Alcohol is already banned oversees, I see banning tobacco as more problematic than problem solving.

[Mr.Lordi]

Kind of makes one wonder, with the amount of Military personal, everyone who smoked(hypothetically, I doubt every smoker would if this was passed) left, then they would be running, almost, at half capacity. Given the way these two wars are at the moment, were we are extending our troops as is, we could be paving the way for a potential future draft...in theory, anyways, could we not?



I mean, not anytime soon, but like, if I ever have kids, they could potentially end up feeling the effects of this.

[Mr.Lordi]

Originally Posted by Mr.Lordi

Kind of makes one wonder, with the amount of Military personal, everyone who smoked(hypothetically, I doubt every smoker would if this was passed) left, then they would be running, almost, at half capacity. Given the way these two wars are at the moment, were we are extending our troops as is, we could be paving the way for a potential future draft...in theory, anyways, could we not?



I mean, not anytime soon, but like, if I ever have kids, they could potentially end up feeling the effects of this.

upoun rereading this, I have come to the conclusion that this was a totally whack theory and has no real basis in reality of every happening.

That is what you get for writing what you are thinking without thinking it through to conclusion. lol

[springnr]

Remembered thinking what the heck when I read this while in Japan last April:


Well I had links to Stars and Stripes articles about Misawa AFB Japan smokin' bans.... but I'm not a gabby type guy an don't have enough post to use URLs.

[youngjackdaddy]

To kind of elaborate on what Afilter was saying; it won't happen any time soon. For myself, I wouldn't get many (read any) breaks at work if I didn't smoke. I know a lot of guys that sit in their desks, or work if they don't have a desk job from 0900 until lunch, come back, and do it again till close of business. It's harsh, but that's what the military is about, you work hard. Thankfully, I get my smoke breaks, I will even go and grab the younger guys and non-smokers to make sure they get off their butts too.

The Army (only service I have experience with this but I assume it applies to all the branches) pushes a ton of healthy alternatives and tobacco cessation classes are free and come with great benefits but giving up the one thing that takes me away from my computer, e-mails, and ringing phone is something they can't give me.

I'd really love to point out that the Army in any way, shape, or form is NOT a healthy lifestyle no matter how you look at it. Even without the current conflicts going on it's a stressful environment, you're often working tight deadlines and have bosses breathing down your neck looking for results and fancy things to put on powerpoint slides (you officers know what I'm talking about ;-) and even our PT is bad for us. Look at a lot of the vets that were in over 5 years even. Tons of back, knee, and shoulder problems. God forbid we run on grass or a track regularly, cement is VERY high impact when running. Sit ups are horrible for your back and even Army docs admit that (the good ones at least), and who hasn't had to lift something with less people then is really needed and had to carry it through doors that seem to shrink each trip back and lift them into some type of vehicle.

Smoking is the least of the military's problem. Let's start by banning incoming mortar fire first and work our way up. We're fighting to defend freedom and have ours taken away fairly often. We volunteered so yeah, kind of our fault, but at the same time, why is big brother trying to rain on our parade so much?

Ach, just my two cents, sorry I ranted a bit.