Ban on tobacco urged in military

[The Straight Story]

Ban on tobacco urged in military

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.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-07-09-smokin...

Never mind all the bullets, bombs, illegal wars - let's stop em from smoking...

[rcrush]

1. Because being in the military doesnt suck enough

??

[lindisfarne]

2. Never going to work. Although it would have the advantage of catching most while they're young

and stopping them.
How about just prohibiting anyone who didn't smoke upon entering the military from taking it up? Just mark it on their ID cards.

They're in Afghanistan. There are better drugs to be had.

Actually, maybe they'd better focus on the soldiers who are hanging out at white supremacist sites.

[dysfunctional press]

3. that kind of policy might put a bit of a dent in their volunteer numbers.

[Maru Kitteh]

4. Fine. As soon as they stop pumping them full of uppers and downers.

It's a good idea, and a healthy idea, but there are bigger fish in line for the pan.

[proteus_lives]

5. Stupid idea.

Yeah, take away their smokes, who cares about the nerves of thousands of armed people?

[sweetpotato]

6. Quitting actually made me calmer

In the long run, quitting smoking has made me calmer -I'm not always trying to figure out how to get my next fix of nicotine. No more freaking out over having my fix delayed. Blood pressure is lower, too.

Cigarettes don't calm the nerves of a smoker anymore than heroin calms the nerves of a heroin addict. The addiction is fed, but that's all. Relief of the addiction's urge LOOKS like calm, but it really isn't.

[ejpoeta]

10. they can encourage people to quit smoking, but I'd guess that banning smoking

for people in Iraq and Afghanistan or for those who are now traumatized by their numerous deployments is not the way to go. I wanted my husband to quit smoking, but an ultimatum would never have worked. I encouraged him. I never pushed or harassed him about it. He ended up quitting all on his own. Is he calmer... hell yes. Am I proud of him. You bet. I know that nagging or bugging him about it would never get him to quit. I would tell him that for my birthday I wanted him to quit smoking.... I would tell him that I want him to be around for awhile so we can grow old together. But he wanted to quit too. I tend to think that trying to take that choice away from a person will only make it harder for them to stop. Also, I tend to think that soldiers who are struggling with far worse demons right now don't need someone kicking them even more right now. Encouragement.... instead of demands or bans.

[Sirveri]

7. Subs mainly use chew. But they also smoke.

Most fucking annoying part of my watch was taking logs down in lower level and having to fight my way past the throng of smokers standing around in PLO bay. The other nasty thing was cleaning up and finding spit bottles hidden all over the place that people 'forgot' about.

[ejpoeta]

8. what the hell is wrong with these people!!! these men and women are risking their lives

in combat zones for how many tours... but let's ban tobacco products. what the fuck!! whether you think they should be smoking or not is not the problem with this idea. it's bad enough that you have 18 year olds going off to war who are old enough to die for their country but not old enough to drink.... Here we have a military system which tries to make gay people who want to be in the military hide who they are and NOT have their rights as citizens of this country if they want to protect the rights of OTHERS.... it is so fucked up it's not even funny. Tell you what.... before we start worrying about people smoking, and the image that presents or anything.... let's get some other things taken care of. Let's get these people out of harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then let's make sure they have all the help they need mentally and physically along with helping their families survive what they have been through both financially and mentally.... THEN lets make sure that people who sign up to risk their lives for this country are treated fairly and allowed to serve openly and without having to hide who they are..... THEN maybe we can discuss smoking issues. What a load of crap.

[Mari333]

9. bad bad bad idea

for christs sake. i quit 2 months ago but I had to be in a stress free environment to do it. the last thing the military is, is stress free.
you want people to go off into insanity, take away their cigarettes in a battle zone. geezus, how stupid can they get.

[cabluedem]

14. No way those guys are going to quit smoking in combat. Stupid idea. nt

[elocs]

11. Well, good luck with that. n/t

[ixion]

12. no smoking, just killing, please

how stupid is that?

[Cid_B]

13. A few months ago...

it was porn at the shoppette. Got to protect us from seeing anything that could warp our fragile little minds.

[rcrush]

17. Soldiers looking at PORN??!!!!

Whats next? Soldiers swearing?!

[Vidar]

15. Great idea. Apparently the record high suicide rate in the military isn't high enough.

;sarcasm;

[rug]

16. Don't Smoke / Don't Ask

More idiocy.

[Mrs. Overall]

20. +1

[Ron Green]

18. It's not such a bad idea.

It was only 42 years ago when my C-rations came with a little pack of 4 cigarettes, courtesy of my government and their patron, the tobacco lobby. I started smoking then, and continued to smoke for more than 20 years until I found a way to quit.

If our government can encourage youngsters to smoke, as they did me, why not encourage them to not smoke? Since the Surgeon General's first warning in the 1960s there's been a steady increase in the awareness of smoking dangers, and a steady decrease in the number of smokers. A phased-in ban over many years, which is what's being proposed for the military, is another positive step toward better public health.

[Mrs. Overall]

19. Right, ban smoking for health reasons, but expose them to depleted uranium, chemical warfare, and

use them as guinea pigs for vaccines.

[WeDidIt]

21. "Smoke 'em if you got 'em"

Shit, in World War II, they ISSUED cigarettes.

[The Straight Story]

23. Times have changed indeed

I don't know how we have progressed so far and yet we are becoming more puritan of a society in many ways..

[tuckessee]

22. They should ban drinking, swearing and fornication as well.

Onward (teetotaling) Christian Soldiers.......

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

25. Our born again CO tried that. Speaking of epic fails.....

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

24. Are they going to offer the rule breakers a last cigarette before the firing squad?

Smoke free cannon fodder. Charming.