Troop Smoking Ban
A proposal has been made to make the Armed Forces smoke free. This Troop Smoking Ban has been drawing serious reactions from the troops, even though the Pentagon states that any ban is a long way off. This fear was triggered by a study done by the Veterans Affairs Department that recommends moving toward a tobacco free military within the next twenty years. U.S. military personnel and veterans interviewed by The Associated Press had strong opinions about life in the military without cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco.
Some military personnel said it would cut medical costs and make the force healthier and eliminating smoking breaks would increase productivity. Others said it would dampen the morale of the soldiers who smoke and reduce recruitment to the all-volunteer military. Nearly all, however, said it was not practical and most likely would not ever happen.
While smoking has declined in the U.S. civilian population, it remains high in the military due to the stressful nature of what a soldier faces on a daily basis. In 2005, a third of the active-duty military smoked compared with a fifth of the adult U.S. population, the Institute of Medicine study said. Tobacco use in the military declined overall from 1980 to 2005, but now seems to be reflecting the effects of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Smoking rates among military personnel returning from both war zones may be 50 percent higher than it is among those who were not deployed, recent studies have shown. A Troop smoking ban is thought to improve overall health and well being for our military.
Read more about the Troop Smoking Ban here.
The people who keep reprinting this tripe should be treated like anyone trying to sabotage our military efforts.