Legacy e-News, Building A World Where Young People Reject Tobacco And Anyone Can QuitNovember 2007
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Smoking in the Military

On November 11, the country honored its military veterans as well as those currently serving the country by celebrating Veterans' Day. What many do not know is that tens of thousands of our brave troops face another deadly health risk.

In 2002, a Survey of Heath Related Behaviors among Military Personnel found that the current smoking rate among military personnel was at 34 percent.1 Historically, smoking was once considered a recreational habit in the armed services, with cigarettes being handed out to soldiers during wartime and service overseas — particularly during World War II.

The U.S. military has recognized this epidemic and has enacted several efforts to control the use of tobacco by its soldiers. The Department of Defense does not allow military personnel to smoke in military buildings except in specified area; recruits are not allowed to smoke during basic training; cigarettes are no longer significantly discounted in commissaries; and advertising is forbidden in service publications. 2

Despite these efforts, the smoking rates among service members and veterans are still very high. We urge those with loved ones serving the country or that have served in the past to educate veterans and active duty military personnel on the dangers of tobacco and to support them in quitting.

Effects of Tobacco on the Military Population (Separate Fact Box)—
  • Military personnel who smoke are less productive and perform worse on physical fitness tests relative to nonsmoking personnel. 3,4
  • Military smokers are more likely to miss duty days because of illness, experience significantly more training injuries, and are more likely to be discharged within the first year of service relative to nonsmoking personnel. 5,6
  • It is estimated that the Department of Defense (DOD) spends about $875 million per year on healthcare for smoking-related illnesses and lost productivity in DOD beneficiaries. 1
Total smoking rates among military personnel — 34 percent
Among the Service Branches:1

The highest among the Marine Corps with 39 percent and the Navy with 36 percent

The lowest percentage among the Air Force with 27 percent

1 Bray RM, Hourani LL, Rae KL, et al. 2002 Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Military Personnel. Research Triangle Park, NC: Research Triangle Institute; 2003.
2 Tobacco Use in the Air Force. Air Force Instruction 40-102. June 3, 2002. Available at: http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/pubfiles/af/40/afi40-102/afi40-102.pdf. Accessed February 26, 2005.
1 Haddock CK. Parker LC. Taylor JE. Poston WS. Lando H. Talcott GW. An analysis of messages about tobacco in military installation newspapers. American Journal of Public Health. 95(8):1458-63, 2005 Aug.
13 Conway TL, Cronan TA. Smoking and physical fitness among Navy shipboard personnel. Mil Med 1988;153:589-594
4Bahrke MS, Baur TS, Poland DF, et al. Tobacco use and performance on the US Army physical fitness test. Mil Med 1988;153:229-235
5 Klesges RC, Haddock CK, Chang CF, Talcott GW, Lando HA. The association of smoking and the cost of military training. Tob Control. 2001;10:43-47.
6 Costs of smoking among active duty US Air Force personnel-United States, 1997. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2000;49:441-445.


Above photo is an image of a vintage
poster that advertised Camel cigarettes
and was targeted towards the military.