Defense Secretary 'Looking' at Banning Tobacco Sales at Military Installations

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is "looking" at banning the sale of tobacco at military installations. According to one military publication, Hagel appears to support it.

www.weeklystandard.com...

WHAT ?

“I don’t know if there’s anybody in America who still thinks that tobacco is good for you,” Stars and Stripes quotes Hagel as saying. “We don’t allow smoking in any of our government buildings. Restaurants, states, [and] municipalities have pretty clear regulations on this. I think in reviewing any options that we have as to whether we in the military through commissaries [or] PXs sell or continue to sell tobacco is something we need to look at. And we are looking at it. And I think we owe it to our people.”

I wish he was kidding.

I wish this was an 'April fools joke'.

But it isn't.

Hey newsflash Hagel ?

Bullets, bombs, IED'S, rockets,missiles, and suicide bombers, and politicians are MORE dangerous to armed services 'health'.

They are serious!

reply to post by neo96

Why don't they ban alcohol?

butcherguy
reply to post by neo96

 

Why don't they ban alcohol?

Good question.


Guess the tobacco haters haven't got around to it yet.

Gees, tobacco smoke is an antidote to many forms of chemical weapons. Nicotine is also a notropic so it makes soldiers smarter....can't be having smart soldiers out there now. Destroy anyone's ability to live through chemical warfare. I guess they will be taking away everyone's hot sauce too, as it contains nicotinic acid.

neo96

butcherguy
reply to post by neo96

 

Why don't they ban alcohol?

Good question.


Guess the tobacco haters haven't got around to it yet.

I don't want them to ban it on bases.
I just wanted to make the point that a soldier can smoke a cigarette and drive a car without being considered impaired.
Drink a few beers and jump in a car, well, that's a little more dangerous.

reply to post by neo96


I see this as a very good thing, The army expects its soldiers to run 2miles in around 16 minutes depending on your age. kinda hard to do that when you poison your lungs with smoke. i hope they ban alcohol to we have to have a stronger army

This has been looked at over and over again with a lot of out cry.

Their argument is smoking causes health problems which causes down time and extra health care cost for the military. There has been a push to make the entire military tobacco free.

Craninalbliss
reply to post by neo96

 

I see this as a very good thing, The army expects its soldiers to run 2miles in around 16 minutes depending on your age. kinda hard to do that when you poison your lungs with smoke. i hope they ban alcohol to we have to have a stronger army

I see it as utter stupidity.

Soldiers have more pressing concerns like bullets, and bombs, and toxic 'stuff' from explosives they breathe in.

And the morons who send them to war which is the number one 'hazard' to their health.

And stuff like DU rounds, and 'vaccinations'.

reply to post by Craninalbliss


In my time in the Navy, I've known several non-smokers who could barely bass the PRT run, and several heavy smokers who would smoke(1.5 miles in under 10) the run and light up when they were done.

Craninalbliss
reply to post by neo96

 

I see this as a very good thing, The army expects its soldiers to run 2miles in around 16 minutes depending on your age. kinda hard to do that when you poison your lungs with smoke. i hope they ban alcohol to we have to have a stronger army

Why do you need to ban it then? If they can't keep up physically with smoking, then it's an indirect ban. If they smoke but can't make the physical cuts, they will quit smoking or quit military. That should be incentive enough.

Now if they smoke tobacco from the indians, they might find without all the additives it doesn't effect their performance that much. Or they may decide to switch to smokeless tobacco or ecigs, and what's wrong with that?

Banning things doesn't work. Incentive for non-use or alternatives works.

Craninalbliss
reply to post by neo96

 

I see this as a very good thing, The army expects its soldiers to run 2miles in around 16 minutes depending on your age. kinda hard to do that when you poison your lungs with smoke. i hope they ban alcohol to we have to have a stronger army

Failed logic!

My First Sergeant smoked 3 packs of Kools a day! Take a guess as to the MINIMUM he ran a day?

10 miles!

Sucked for me when I fell out of a three mile run one day and tried to use cigarette smoking as an excuse!!!

Craninalbliss
reply to post by neo96

 

I see this as a very good thing, The army expects its soldiers to run 2miles in around 16 minutes depending on your age. kinda hard to do that when you poison your lungs with smoke. i hope they ban alcohol to we have to have a stronger army

When I was in the Marine Corps, I used to smoke over a pack of cigarettes a day, and my 3 mile time on my PFT was always at 18 minutes or under. Smoking has zero effect on your ability to run farther faster if your body is trained to do it. It does effect your o2 levels which just means that you have to train harder, but most of us like the challenge.

If it is on the bases only they have every right to do it because after all it is government property. Many stores around the base will be glad if this passes because their sales will increase.

buster2010
If it is on the bases only they have every right to do it because after all it is government property. Many stores around the base will be glad if this passes because their sales will increase.

They do ?

Thought a person has the right to decide what they do with their own bodies. Without government fascism interfering.

Guess not eh.

Well, we send kids off to die at 18....but tell them they cant drink and smoke....

i have no words for the hypocrisy.....

I'd put a smoking soldier up against a dozen candy-assed new-age progressive sissy-boys any day of the week.

Chuck, you're an ass!

reply to post by neo96


They are really trying to piss off the military aren't they?
Keep taking the benefits away and at some point our former and current will not go for this type of crap. [unlike the civis]

Why are TPTB doing spiteful stuff like this??

TPTB in DC need to look at their own extra expenditures before taking away from the ones they depend on the most.

reply to post by palmalBlue2

They are really trying to piss off the military aren't they? - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

I think they are.

They are doing everything, and anything they can to run them out of the service.

One hundred percent....pure face palm!
Who put this guy in charge?
You can go to war, get shot, blown up or anything else unpleasant....but cant smoke because its dangerous.....WTF?

Greatly reduced access to tobacco will lead to stress which will lead to a large increase in antidepressant prescriptions. This leads to "episodes" wherein the brain rejects the pharmaceutical poisons in a violent, expressive manner, leading to further portrayal of veterans as dangerous individuals who shouldn't own firearms when their service is over.

Hagel certainly is on board with the modern progressive blueprint for their desired utopian hell.