Ban on tobacco urged in military

[RamboLiberal]

Source: 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.



Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-07-09-smoking_N.htm

---

I'm a non-smoker and usually support bans on smoking in public places but IMHO this one is just dumb! What's left for these troops in combat zones to relieve the stress?

[frazzled]

1. Put them in ultimate harm's way and then ban smoking as harmful?

I disagree with this on the grounds that it is highly illogical.

[RamboLiberal]

4. Good point

The bullets & bombs, not to mention the stress of humping all that gear in extreme temperatures plus the stress of combat is what's more harmful to them not to mention the PTSD than tobacco at this point.

[dixiegrrrrl]

Not mention the depleted uranium and the un-named vaccines

they have been exposed to.
Now they want the troops to be irritable from nicotine withdrawal?

[formercia]

2. I remember buying tax-free cigarettes for $ 1 US. per carton.

Once they had Kents on sale for $.50 per carton, but they had Asbestos in the filters.

It took me decades to quit.

[Robb]

3. It would likely bring down VA long-term health costs

...I don't know, but I expect that's a consideration. :shrug:

[Hello_Kitty]

6. Right, and it's just military people we're talking about.

Not full human beings with rights or anything.

[Robb]

9. Wow, way to read a bunch of crap that wasn't there into my post.

Nice work. :D

[Hello_Kitty]

17. The OP is about banning smoking by the troops.

You said it might be a way to reduce VA costs.

What am I missing? :shrug:

[Robb]

21. So

"bringing down VA health care cost might be a consideration"

equals

"military aren't human beings"?

Sorry to disturb that shoulder-mounted chip. FWIW, I think we're on the same side, I'm just guessing at a motive.

Edited to add: although upstream someone said smokers cost less in the long run, so who knows.

[JonLP24]

22. You're a dingbat

Sorry.

I've seen someone suggest that before in another thread that I forget where and I have no idea why they called you one.

[Robb]

23. It's a long story and absolutely true. nt

:)

[JanusAscending]

31. Ya both are HILARIOUS!!

:rofl:

[Sgent]

7. Maybe not

Smokers and overweight tend to have lower lifetime health costs -- they die sooner. This out of a few studies in Europe.

The jury is still out if it saves money. It saves lives, but maybe not money.

[ohio2007]

41. the obvious side to VA medical care isn't mentioned. Some G I's can't smoke

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2009/07/photo_of_the_we_1.html#comments
but I guess smoking in the general population is OK

[Hello_Kitty]

5. Fuck Jack Smith and his paternalistic authoritarian bullshit

As a veteran this kind of stuff really ticks me off. Many of the civilians in leadership positions seemed to have this attitude that the troops were subhuman and not entitled to the same rights and consideration that full citizens were. I see that hasn't changed. I can't imagine Smith making that suggestion for the population at large.

[JonLP24]

8. Expect the outrage if they do decide to do this

I left the military June of last year and a great number of them smoke. Washington often labeled a nanny state because of their no smoking 25 distance feet from entrances policy is nothing compared to Ft Lewis. On Ft Lewis the policy is 50 feet from an entrance. Now imagine driving off post just for a cigarette and it wouldn't be hard to smuggle cigarettes on base either. This would be a bad idea if implanted.

[Blaze Diem]

11. This is stupid. Bomb & bullets, but...'we're really just looking out for your long-term health".

Difficult to connect those two statements of thought.

[Auggie]

10. Let them smoke

It's still a lifestyle choice (albeit a dumb one) until there's an outright worldwide ban on tobacco.

[Blaze Diem]

14. AYE!! a world wide ban.

indeed

[Auggie]

19. Just to be clear,

I am not advocating a world-wide ban.

[Deadric Damodred]

27. If there was talk of a complete ban on smoking...

...people would be stockpiling just like they are stockpiling "assault weapons" out of a fear of a ban. Before the bill would even pass, there would be people with a 100 years worth of cigarettes and cigars stocked up. When talk of banning happens, people stockpile whatever it is that is supposed to be banned.

[OHdem10]

12. I am a proud Democrat but could our Party get established before

we start Nannying the Military???

Yes, Smoking is bad for you, we all know this.

But the Democratic Party acticing like the"fretting Mother"
especially to our Military is an Image we do not need
right now.

This party is clueless when it comes to timing.

[onehandle]

13. As fervently anti-smoking as I am, I do not support this idea.

But I would support a substantial program to help them quit.

[catbyte]

15. That's real smart

and compassionate! :sarcasm:

Put a person in a highly stressful environment, then make them go through nicotine withdrawal. What on earth is wrong with these people? If they manage to pass that one, I predict there will be more than one incident of a soldier going postal. BUTT OUT..literally!!

:mad:

Diane

Anishnabe and Proud

FREE LEONARD PELTIER! Leonard is having a parole hearing at the end of July and he needs your support. Megwetch!

[awoke_in_2003]

29. I think what onehandle was getting at...

is that a lot of smokers want to quit, but it is hard to do- and sometimes requires expensive supplements and support groups to accomplish. I believe this (making this available to the troops) is what onehandle is supporting.

[Mist]

16. I think it's wrong to deprive the military of constitutional rights. Too much

interference. And BTW, while smoking can shorten one's life, so can being in the military!

[kimmylavin]

18. What a ridiculous idea.

And yeah, I'm a non-smoker.

I could see them saying they'd offer more help/programs to those who WANT to quit, but an outright ban is just nonsense.

[JonLP24]

20. One of the good things about the military

Is someone can go to the troop medical clinic and request that he/she wants to quit smoking. They will give you a bottle of Zyban for the first week as well as 8 weeks supply of nicotine patches based on the step program slowly lowering the dosage of nicotine for free (A box is $45 on the civilian side) as well as a weekly smoker's cessation class.

I've been out of the military for a year so I know and did try to quit smoking but it was short lived.

[kimmylavin]

25. Well, that's good.

I'm glad the military is willing to help those who want to try to quit.
I hope they'll just leave it at that.

[edc]

24. Very bad idea

I remember times in the Army when lighting a cigarette was the only way to stop my hands from shaking and whip up the courage to carry on.

[davepc]

26. How do you expect a bunch of 19/20 year old kids to worry about their long term health

when their daily job involves dodging bullets and IED's.

[Deadric Damodred]

28. Great idea...if you want to lower the sign up rate even more.

[Vidar]

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

:sarcasm:

[Brooklyns_Finest]

32. Ban Dip

They need to ban chewing tobaco. That shit used to piss me off! Having to room with a redneck with a coke bottle as a dip recepticle was quite annoying.

[JonLP24]

34. What's funny is before I was in the Army I NEVER met anyone that used dip

About 50/50 of the tobacco users in the Army were dippers and some of them did both. However it never did bother me as I never touched one or drank from a dip bottle however there has been a few times I did accidently drink from a soda can that was used for dip.

[krabigirl]

33. ugh

[mamaleah]

35. Here, go fight in a war. You may die but it sure ain't gonna be from that cancer stick!

Said the elitist overlords.

Too many asshats get paid too much money to come up with silly things like this ban.

[rd_kent]

36. Ah, the good ole' days!

When I joined the Navy in 1987, I was smoker and enjoyed buying my smokes dirt cheap at the commissary for $10 a carton. It was so cheap, one could not afford NOT to smoke. There was a program underway called "Navy Smokefree 2000" that was supposed to phase out tobacco use by 2000. Well, by 1992, that program was over. They did stop selling smokes in the commissary and they are now just about as expensive on base as they are off base. They made is more difficult to smoke by moving smokers outside and now some ships are smoke-free.
I quit smoking in 1996, but not because of a "ban" on smoking. I think the policy we had when I retired last year was adequate, which protected non-smokers from second hand smoke but still allowed those who choose to smoke a place to do it.

[Aristus]

37. I have strong negative feelings about smoking, but I'd rather they banned dip tobacco.

When I was in the Army, nothing disgusted me more than one of my fellow soldiers taking out his can of snuff, doing that wrist-flick-and-lid-thump that dippers do, then stuffing a wad of that nasty shit into their mouths, and then spitting their craptastic mucilage into a cup and leaving the cup around to gross out the normal people. :puke:

Just don't see the sense in it. When I need stress relief, I listen to some good music, or read a book; both non-carcinogenic, last I heard...

[Dogmudgeon]

38. Clever tactic to use on the "old guard"

Let them keep their butts, and they'll relent on the Gays.

Both subjects are highly emotional to conservatives. They'll look at it as a trade-off, and it will allow them an ego-sparing excuse to finally accept Gay personnel.

Clever. A Machiavellian way to make progress on two fronts, but clever.

--d!

[MADem]

39. I'd be surprised if Gates does it. nt

[ohio2007]

40. guess they want to see "nicotine fits" out in the Field

Who appointed that pentagon "expert" ?

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."

Hey grunt,
there's a war on,
don't you know smoking is hazardous to your health ?






/screed

[24601]

42. I too don't smoke - but the people who daily will put their lives

on the line for the rest of us should be able to make their own decisions. And I believe also that they should be able to have a drink before they're 21 - old enough to die for the country should mean old enough to toast it with good scotch.

[underpants]

43. As I understand it most of the Navy is already smoke free

:shrug:

[Zynx]

44. I'm generally in favor of banning smoking in all public places of pretty much all kinds.

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this, though.