Ban on Tobacco Urged in Military

Originally posted by dbates
Anything that keeps you from doing the mission at your top game is out of line and not tolerated.

Well, duh! That sort of makes sense, doesn't it? A lot of the light infantry units have very few smokers; probaby because all the running around and whatnot.

Originally posted by dbates
I've seen people get in trouble for getting a sunburn while in the military so I guess it's no surprise that smoking makes the list.

You can only get busted for a sunburn if you miss duty.

I don't smoke, so I really don't have a dog in this fight. However, seeing restrictions to this and other things have been going on, and they do suck. It's kind of like the Fun Police striking again.

It use to be you could buy porn in the PX/BX. Not any more (except Penthouse and Playboy). It's OK to kill people and break their s**t, but it's not good to look at boobies?

First porn. Then tobacco. Next is the Class Six store.

Originally posted by Anjin
Why doesn't the Government ban it completely?

Yeah, that's a great idea.

Worked for alcohol.

I feel that if we look at it from the perspective as an employer to an employee the idea doesnt seem that crazy. For example dress code when your at work. You have to wear certain items of clothing and what not... they arent infringing on our rights to wear whatever we what... the prob cause is that they dont want employers wearing baggy clothes and getting them stuck in anything. I think this is reflective of smoking in the army. although not the exact same thats another point of view i choose to look at

Originally posted by Armisteadmg42
I feel that if we look at it from the perspective as an employer to an employee the idea doesnt seem that crazy. For example dress code when your at work. You have to wear certain items of clothing and what not... they arent infringing on our rights to wear whatever we what... the prob cause is that they dont want employers wearing baggy clothes and getting them stuck in anything. I think this is reflective of smoking in the army. although not the exact same thats another point of view i choose to look at

Then what happens when you get off work on a Friday afternoon and your employer tells what you will and will not eat for dinner over the weekend as well as make sure you only watch movies that are approved by the company.....see where this road leads?

Drill Sgt.: "You can take a bullet, but not a smoke".
Brain Washed Jarhead: "Whatever you say Drill Sgt."

What's next, urging troops to not breath polluted air?

Just sayin'

How can you be expected to run and fight if you have to cough up a lung periodically because you're a smoker?

I am opposed to smoking because of the health costs born by tax payers for uninsured or under insured smokers. However, I think that people should have the "right" to make up their own minds about this issue.

BUT, there are some professions where being in tip top shape should be essential for the performance of the job. A soldier would fit into that category in my opinion. So, if you want to be in the military give up the butts.

Originally posted by Wildbob77
How can you be expected to run and fight if you have to cough up a lung periodically because you're a smoker?

Soldiers run...how dare those cowards (speaking tongue in cheek of course). But seriously, based upon what I have seen, heard and read, Soldiers in TRUE COMBAT are digging in, not running marathons...and they have heavily armored vehicles to tote them around in...I smoke 1+ packs a day...and run 5 miles a day...I don't see a correlation to smoking and being more or less efficient as a soldier.

Originally posted by Aggie Man
Drill Sgt.: "You can take a bullet, but not a smoke".
Brain Washed Jarhead: "Whatever you say Drill Sgt."

What's next, urging troops to not breath polluted air?

Just sayin'

Jarheads didn't have Drill Sgts, we had Drill Instructors and the only luxury allowed us during Boot Camp was when the smoking lamp was lit. My training platoon had to recite "Sir,the smoking lamp is lit. The Attorney General has determined that smoking is hazardous to your health. F**** him, Marines don't live long enough to get lung cancer anyway. Aye Aye Sir.Then we could light up..... It was a ritual that was repeated numerous times a day and 90% of the recruits indulged..... We paid $1.30 a carton at base camps that had closet sized PXs and they were supplied free when we were in the bush..... I smoked 2 packs of Pall Malls a day and ate two C Ration meals a day if we could get resupplied.... They were our attachment to the world that we were so far from, a comfort when there was no food or enough water, a distraction from days of boredom and endless walking while waiting to be ambushed or mortared, and a relaxing medication after an encounter that resulted in the most overwhelming intensity that is beyond belief to anyone that hasn't lived through it...... I can only suppose that FDA will, or has already come up with some other substance manufactured by a pharmaceutical company to fill the void that will be needed by those that have been relying on tobacco to make the hell that is called war, somewhat tolerable.........Semper Fi

Originally posted by hypervigilant
Marines don't live long enough to get lung cancer anyway.

Star for you! Sorry about the Sgt. vs DI...I know it makes a difference to those that served in the best branch of the US Military!

reply to post by Aggie Man


I'm pretty sure that the soldiers that I know would be running to chase down the baddies.

They wouldn't be running away from the fight

They claim that smoking costs the MIL/DOD $6 Billion in VA Hospital treatments, and $1 Billion in issuance costs (I believe) annually, so they have declared it a "danger" to our men and women in uniform.

How can smoking be anymore of a "danger" though than the bullets flying overhead, and the IEDs blowing up nearby?

This is STUPID. Not to mention the fact that our Commander-in-Chief himself smokes as well, so I fail to see how they will pass this ridiculous garbage without putting the smackdown on the President himself.

I dare say that if such bureaucratic trash DOES pass, most field commanders will ignore it.

Originally posted by Aggie Man

Originally posted by Wildbob77
How can you be expected to run and fight if you have to cough up a lung periodically because you're a smoker?

Soldiers run...how dare those cowards (speaking tongue in cheek of course). But seriously, based upon what I have seen, heard and read, Soldiers in TRUE COMBAT are digging in, not running marathons...and they have heavily armored vehicles to tote them around in...I smoke 1+ packs a day...and run 5 miles a day...I don't see a correlation to smoking and being more or less efficient as a soldier.

5 Miles a day, are you a Jarhead? Lol, your point is well taken, because in all reality, there is already a MAJOR incentive within the MIL to limit how much you smoke, as you have to still conduct PT and pass Annual Physicals.

My Old Man began smoking when he was stuck on a Destroyer in the PAC back in the 1950's, and it was a way to deal with the long hours stuck onboard a ship. Guys I know in SpecOps currently deployed in OEF even have a Cigar or two as a pat-on-the-back after successfully completing a mission. It never inhibits their effectiveness in either case though.

Originally posted by jerico65
There isn't anything to see here.

It isn't any huge plot behind this. They have been pushing anti-smoking rules since the 1980s. Why? How about better health?

And as someone posted, booze is a problem, and they have been working on that, too.

Exactly... since this is a health issue... fast food establishments need to leave military post and bases right along with cigarettes!

It has been stated that obesity is an American Health Crisis...

rgs

reply to post by weedwhacker


You know what I dont get? USA want to ban smoking! HA!
First they (cigarette companies) tried for over 100 years to get the whole world to smoke and now there's less and less money to make from tobacco they come up with all these health prescriptions.

Yes smoking is dangerous for your / our health but when it helps to relax someone it's upto that someone to decide for her / himself.

People still can get very old and healthy old when they smoke.
Go live in a crowed city on a hot summer day, there is more SMOG then a trillion ciggies together!!

Soldiers won't fight worth a damn without cigarettes. They are the only small comfort from home that they can take out on patrol. You cannot take that away from them.

Zombie state. I have a question. Why don't they just shut down tobacco manufacturers? Or make it illegal. What the hell gives with all these laws on the people yet nothing happens to those who make this alleged poison? what's the end game here?

Originally posted by rgseymour
Exactly... since this is a health issue... fast food establishments need to leave military post and bases right along with cigarettes!

Get rid of the fast food? Now that's just crazy talk.

reply to post by ~Lucidity


What gives is... Those who make the alleged poison lobby congress to continue to give them millions of dollars a year in subsidy's so they're making bank even if there's no product sold.

The next year it starts over again... Tobacco gives congress millions, then congress gives tobacco even more millions.

Why would the government want to make tobacco illegal???

Edit to add STAR AND FLAG!

[edit on 10-7-2009 by wyleecoyote]

The Army banned us from smoking in the barracks common areas 20+ years ago when I was stationed in Germany. That came at a time when they started imposing a bunch of other silly restrictions on us during a rather stressful period in history. Of course we did what all other GI's do, we bellyached and soldiered on.

Smoking is definitely ingrained in the annals of military customs, we use to often issue the command in a long formation "Rest! Smoke em if you got um! If you ain't got one borrow one!". Just hearing that was always a moral booster, even if a GI didn't smoke it would often bring a smile especially during trying times.

Wouldn't be the military if they didn't come up with some way to call the cops on a good party.

Will never happen.

So they stop selling tobacco at military installations.

So what?

We can just take a short trip off post and make our purchase.

Besides that, most soldiers would just not enlist or reenlist.

I go and make my tobacco purchase on Tuesdays, which is delivery day. By Thursday all three shoppettes, the PX, the class six and the commissary is completely out of Copenhagan and running very low on Marlboros and Newports. By Sunday you either go for the generic brands, go off post or do without.

They will get rid of Burger King or Anthonys Pizza before they ban tobacco.


And for those who thinks that smoking hampers our abilility to chase down the enemy.

I invite you to PT with us for a week and then post back on ATS about how out of shape and determental smoking is on our physical fitness.