Can DoD Ban Tobacco?
Tobacco use is pretty common within the military. Many service members have used from a young age while others start after joining. I was a half a pack a day smoker until two weeks ago and I’m proud to say that I’m doing a pretty good job at quitting. The decision to quit was my own, and my family and coworkers encouraged me for a long time before I made the decision to kick the habit. In the end, I had to quit for me and not anyone else. That may not be the case for many service members in the future. Emphasis below is my own.
DOD should gradually phase in a ban on tobacco use in the military, starting at military academies and officer training programs and among new recruits, the report says. DOD should also stop selling tobacco products in Army and Air Force commissaries — Navy and Marine Corps commissaries already do not sell them — and should stop selling them at a discount in military exchanges and other stores. In addition, Congress should allow VA to establish tobacco-free medical centers.
The report was requested by DOD and VA, who asked the Institute of Medicine to identify policies and practices that could lower rates of smoking and help soldiers and veterans quit.
The DoD and the VA asked for polices and practices to lower rates, not complete eliminate tobacco use from the military. In typical nanny-state fashion, the Institute said let’s just force them to quit and completely ignore the actual request from DoD! Those men and women in the military that are able to make life and death decisions on the battlefield are unable to make decisions regarding their own health. Let’s just force them to do what we want!
It gets worse. As if the military doesn’t have enough bureaucracy, we’ll add several more layers. Emphasis once again mine.
The Defense Department should set a date by which the military will be tobacco-free and require each of the four services to develop and enforce a timeline for achieving this goal, the report says. Recognizing that immediately banning tobacco use in deployed personnel is not realistic, the committee urged an incremental strategy, starting with closing the pipeline of new tobacco users entering the military. Smoking should be banned at military academies, and the current ban on tobacco use during basic training should be extended to include subseqent technical training. That ban could eventually be extended to all new enlistees, who would be informed during recruitment that they would be expected to remain tobacco-free during their entire military careers.
I really can’t imagine each service having the time, manpower, and funds to develop a timeline on banning the use of tobacco. Additionally, what makes anyone believe it is realistic to ban use in the states if it isn’t realistic to ban use in deployed areas? What effect would a ban on those who smoke from enlisting have on recruiting commands?
Even more worrisome is enforcement of this new ban. Do they plan to now test for cotinine during unit urinalysis? What would result from a positive test? I can’t see asking a Marine why he was subject to NJP and having him respond, “I smoked a cigarette.” It is complete absurd.
The issue that weighs the heaviest on my mind is free will. If I want to smoke or use dip as an adult, why can’t I? Tobacco is not an illegal substance as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Yet, we are going to put cigarettes in the same class as these illegal drugs, ban them from the military, and punish service members for breaking the ban?
In the defense of the DoD and the VA, encouraging service members to quit is the right thing to do. It is bad for your health, costs a ton of money for both the smoker and the military health system, and is an incredibly nasty habit. I support the military’s current methods of cessation and do not support any type of ban or limiting the ability to purchase tobacco on base. In the end, service members are more than able to make their own decisions concerning their health. The military is welcome to encourage them to make better decisions, but not require it.
Claire
June 30th, 2009 at 12:51 pmWe have nearly ONE MILLION VA cases back logged in the system. We send men off to war, and then make them wait for health care when they come home and now we want to tell them to stop smoking — which a lot of them pick up as a way to calm their nerves.
It makes me want to beat my head against a wall. Let’s get them in for the care they need, take good care of them and also offer support for smoking cessation. Maybe quitting would be easier if their other stresses were eliminated.
Military Health
July 6th, 2009 at 7:00 pmIn response to this report, the Military Health System launched a debate where you can share their opinions about the its findings and whether the DoD can/should ban tobacco. Join the debate at http://bit.ly/PkgV9
Mickey
July 10th, 2009 at 5:43 pmThis is insane. I’m sure it would up recruiting numbers if they told people they couldn’t smoke during or after training (sarcastic). Blows my mind.
Paul
July 15th, 2009 at 7:02 pmThis will never happen. The Commisaries can’t afford to lose the revenue from tobacco.