Law Blocks Mailing Smokes to War Zones

Law Blocks Mailing Smokes to War Zones

www.military.com

August 10, 2010
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Family and friends have suddenly found themselves blocked from shipping cigarettes and other tobacco products to American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq because of a new law meant to hamper smuggling and underage sales through the mail.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Yes, we are all aware that smoking is bad for you, but this is not fair to these soldiers. How much have they given up already and now to take away their ability to get smokes? If they want to smoke, let them smoke!
I don't even know if you can still buy cigarettes in military shoppettes or the px/bx, and even if you can, a lot of soldiers don't have the luxury of going to one.

This just isn't right.

www.military.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by virraszto


I agree. The USA needs to start providing smokes in the MRE's again then. Remember them days?! Oh wait I wasn't there

Why is this news? I worked on an army base in Germany back in the 80's and it was already illegal to send cigarettes through the mail from the US. It happened anyway, but you just didn't say what was in it and didn't put a real return address on it and if they opened the package to check they just confiscated it. Most of us didn't need them because Marlboros and Camels were available on base, 4 cartons a month, 6 if you asked for an extra ration, and cheap, but some people just couldn't live without their Kools or Newports or some other kind of cigarette that they didn't carry.I don't know of anybody ever asking a soldier who was sending him tobacco illegally but they could have honestly answered, "I don't know anybody named Joe Bloe from Pasadena." They may have made a new law but nothing changed except maybe they started enforcing it.

We are talking about sending cigarettes to war zones....not sending them to overseas military posts. Cigarettes were cheaper on post anyhow, so why would anyone need to have them sent from the states?

I don't recall it being illegal to send cigarettes ( from the US to the gulf) back during the first gulf war, but I could be wrong.

And with cigarettes costing so much these days, who wants to take a risk that they are confiscated?

[edit on 12-8-2010 by virraszto]

Originally posted by virraszto
www.military.com

new law meant to hamper smuggling and underage sales through the mail.

(visit the link for the full news article)

That may be the official reason for the law, but it's actually in place to keep people from importing smokes from other countries, tax-free. And now our troops are suffering because the government wants its cut.


TheAssoc.

Edit: grammar




[edit on 12-8-2010 by TheAssociate]

reply to post by virraszto

As I said, most of us didn't need them. I could live with my 6 cartons a month. But some people wanted whatever they smoked back home that wasn't available on base.