Military considers banning smoking; study says phase it out over 5-10 years
The Pentagon, where many Americans learned to smoke while serving in the military, is considering banning smoking.
A new study commissioned by the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs recommends a complete ban on tobacco, which would end tobacco sales on military bases and prohibit smoking by anyone in uniform, not even combat troops in the thick of battle, CNN reports.
Army Times says the Veterans Administration spent $5 billion on treating smoking-related emphysema in 2008. The Military Health System spent about $564 million on tobacco-related costs.
The study, led by Dr. Ken Kizer of the Institute of Medicine, found that there are both short-term and long-term negative impacts. It impairs military readiness and causes serious health problems.
The study recommends the ban be imposed over a five- to ten-year period. This may be one time where the military cannot lead the way in reforms.
The Pentagon supports the goal of a tobacco-free military, said spokeswoman Cynthia Smith. “However, achieving that goal will depend on coincident reductions of tobacco use in the civilian population,” she said.
Kizer found that civilians don’t smoke as much as soldiers. One in three active-duty soldiers smokes, he said, adding that among the general population, that number is less than one in five.
CNN: Study recommends total ban on smoking for soldiers
