Posted on 07/13/2009 10:29:58 AM PDT by NevadaPolicyResearchInstitute
Wow. And I thought we were supposed to smoke for the children.
I can't believe this isn't some type of joke, but there it is in USA Today.
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.Wow. Have these people ever served in the military or been around those in the service? Because if they had, they would understand why this proposal is laughable — unless of course they want to cut the military in half. Which, hey, maybe they do.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.
First, this shows (again) the dangers of the government picking the winners and losers in the economy. And federal and state governments (including Nevada's) have repeatedly chosen tobacco and alcohol as losers and saddled them with high "sin" taxes. Less than three weeks after taking office, President Obama even doubled the federal cigarette tax to pay for an expansion of SCHIP.
You can't have it both ways. If you want to tax tobacco to pay for a federal program, you can't ban it for segments of your population.
Second, the tobacco "costs" cited in the story don't tell the whole story (if the numbers are even accurate to begin with). Tobacco use causes a myriad of health problems that shorten life expectancy and save Social Security, Medicare and pension plans billions. Vanderbilt University economist Kip Viscusi found that the country gained a net savings of 32 cents for every pack smoked.
Third, if the Pentagon is serious about this proposal — again I have my doubts — why not implement it for all public employees? Again, I think the evidence shows the cost savings argument is garbage, but if that's the argument you make, you should be consistent. Let's start at the top.
Fourth, those who serve are volunteering to risk their lives to protect this country's freedom. To try to limit their ability to partake in a legal activity is more than a little ironic.
What is with the Pentagon? Besides being politically correct they now want to take a direct swing at our soldiers.
Smoke Nazis Ping...
Nicotine in moderation does improve thinking and reflex though, and calm jangled nerves...
No good self righteous do gooders. For godsakes, a soldier should be able to smoke cigarettes if they want. Geez I hate liberals.
Geez, you can volunteer to face bombs and bullets, but can’t make a choice about smoking!! I wonder if this will affect civilians working on military installations. It will sure boost sales of black market smokes to GIs overseas, then we’ll never know what’s in the tobacco they smoke.
where’s some dead fruit to hurl at this guy? jeez..
If the troops are not able to smoke, neither should ANY GOVT
EMPLOYEE.
(and this includes teleprompter boy)
Given my own experience, I wouldn’t wan’t to be a CO announcing to the troops that they had to stop smoking. There’s gonna be a whole lotta fraggin goin on.
In Viet Nam, we got a little five pack of cigarettes in each box of C-rations. And occasionally we received a large box of health & welfare items (soap, shaving gear, etc) that had several CARTONS of smokes.
Given my own experience, I wouldn’t wan’t to be a CO announcing to the troops that they had to stop smoking. There’s gonna be a whole lotta fraggin goin on.
Yep, and I’m sure they’ll keep smokin’ and find ways around the ban.
Absolutely ludicrous....next will be drinking, and if the far left wackos really get a wet dream come true, it will the banning of bullets...
Smoking is prohibited in bootcamp now, at least in the Army.
That doesn't fix the problem, that only raises the bar for the anti-smoking nazis.
Remember how is started in kalifornia?
"We just want our own non-smoking section in the restaurant. Then we'll never ask for anything more..."
I smoked cigarettes regularly in college, as did many of my lacrosse teammates.
I can't recall it ever seeming to impact our stamina.
18-21 year-old males are pretty indestructable. Anyway, seems like many soldiers now dip snuff instead of smoking.
This proposed ruling just seems cruel, as tobacco would seem to be one of the few bits of pleasure available in a combat zone, particularly in muslim areas where alcohol is much harder to get a hold off.
Yeah, and to think those same kind of self-righteous do gooders made hookers illegal during the last administration!!
Next up after this will be an Assault Weapons ban for all the military
Yeah, I was just thinking, you know, those weapons our soldiers carry are dangerous - I mean, they kill a lot of people annually. We need to ban those.
A pile of dead skinnies, hey anyone for a smoke?
I’m going to predict that this is a foreshadowing of things to come with Obamacare... to help keep costs down, we must stop the smoking, drinking, and ________ insert any vice here.
While I can understand the logic of whomever came up with this proposal (health, political correctness, etc), I agree with your comment wholeheartedly.
Also, this is just another layer of control by higher-ups, many of whom will probably find ways around the ban for themselves.
It wouldn't surprise me if CO's and others simply turn a blind eye to smoking, which may have a side effect of eroding respect for the letter of law.
OBOZO’S Secret Strategy to Destroy Our Proud American Military in one Fell Swope! Forbid Smoking, Threaten All Military Folks with Criminal Prosecution for All Acts of War, and Encourage Homosexuality and Amoral Activities in a Military Environment while Eliminating Funding for Personnel Armor, Arms and Equipment! The Chinese are Dancing with Glee! and the Taliban are having Heroin Parties celebrating Their Forthcoming Victories!
This is all we need, a military full of soldiers taking Chantix to stop smoking....
Chantix is banned for use by Airline Pilots and CDL drivers, something about a silly ‘suicide’ tendency side-effect.
Way back.... way, way back, when I was a young Private in basic training, my Platooon Drill Sergeant (E-7) had been to Vietnam 3 times in the Marine Corps, and when they wouldn't let him go back, he quit and joined the Army and went back twice more.
He 43 years old, smoked at least a pack of Pall-Mall straights a day, and drank Scotch Whiskey every day. Our platoon was a bunch of 17-20 year old young bucks in the prime of our lives (I was 20, and considered old) who all thought we were gonna be shit-hot, badass, trained killers. But every time that old man took us out on a run, he literally tortured us into the ground.
That "old man" could run for hours, up and down the hills of Ft. Knox (affectionately known as Heartbreak, Agony, and Misery) and often did so with a lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth, just so he could berate us for not being able to keep up with him.
That beat up old man ran circles around 40 young studs - day in, and day out. We felt lucky to survive. when we'd finish, he's just laughed at us sprawled around wheezing and puking, and light up another Pall-Mall. Three quarters of the platoon started smoking within a week (including me - and it took me 2 years to quit).
Not sure what my point is; but I guess if you're going to send young men out to kill other young men and maybe die doing it, what does it matter if they smoke in the process?
Just another step to destroy the military.
Obama doesnt miss many opportunities to damage National Security.
I have no problem in letting soldiers smoke, drink or dip. If they can do the job they signed on for give it em, they earned it. FYI the Army has taught both my boys how to smoke, drink & dip with gusto. I learned early on never drink with a soldier :)
Hell, they may as well ban alcohol too then. That’ll go over real well.
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