Opinions vary on banning tobacco in military

Banning smoking in the military has become a topic of interest lately among members of the military and civilians alike.
The Department of Veteran Affairs and the Pentagon recently released a study done by the Institute of Medicine calling for a phased-in ban over a period of years. Since then, the Pentagon has reportedly decided not to implement the ban. Although the ban could be considered an ultimate goal, Defense Secretary Robert Gates already stated that he wouldn’t want to risk stress levels of the fighting troops rising even higher due to the loss of tobacco.
Nevertheless, the study, which suggests a ban on the use of tobacco by troops and to end its sale on military property, has raised a number of discussions.
The VA report found that one in three service members use tobacco and the heaviest smokers are soldiers and Marines, who have done most of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Combat veterans are 50% more likely to use tobacco than troops who haven’t seen combat. Troops worn out by repeated deployments often rely on cigarettes as a stress reliever, and it was found that tobacco use in the military increased after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began.
Commanders, as currently stated among army regulations are already encouraged to “demonstrate positive efforts to deglamorize the use of all forms of tobacco products.“
Stephanie Palm, a local resident who served in the U.S. Air Force, said, “As a non-smoker I think it would be good to ban tobacco but would find it hard to regulate.“
He husband Adam Palm, who served in both the U.S. Navy and Air Force, agrees, but says, “Tobacco is just used to relieve the boredom around camp.“
The study concluded that soldiers who smoke have worse vision, don’t perform well on fitness tests, bleed harder after surgery, heal slower, and are at a higher risk for infection. Besides the numerous health issues, the study also found that they are more likely to not meet all physical commitments for the military.
Ruckersville resident, Jesse Rieth, who served in the U.S. Army, finds it to be “a ludicrous thing for the Department of Defense to be focusing on during the ongoing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.  While it’s a noble goal to get the US forces as healthy as possible, imposing such a restriction would require a drastic shift in military culture - particularly in the enlisted ranks.“
Nevertheless, local resident Nick Smith, who recently left the active duty Marine Corps, said he “would encourage them to ban smoking while on a military base and in uniform, due to the fact that our image says a lot about us.“
Smith continues: “Clearly smoking is bad for a person’s health, and a healthier, athletic soldier, sailor or Marine is the desired end state.  However, I have found that smoking after coming back from a high tempo operation or any fast pace day has calmed soldiers/marines.  It allows peers to talk and let go of what they may be doing or have done.  Now, you don’t need to smoke to do these things; it is just easier because of the settings.“
Ties between the military and tobacco date back to the early 1900s.  During the time of World War I, soldiers were even issued rations that included .4 oz of tobacco and ten cigarette-rolling papers.
Whether the ban ever takes effect in the future, the facts are laid out for everyone to see not only the health issues it brings but also first hand why it seems to be so common in the culture that it is so closely tied to.
Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Les Melnyk confirms that a military smoking ban is unlikely now.
“We are not going to ban smoking at this instant,“ says Melnyk. “There was so much misleading media on this, but (Defense) Secretary Gates has made it clear that we are not currently considering a ban on smoking, but we do acknowledge the dangers of smoking.“
Melnyk continued: “There is an emphasis here (among the military, as with the general public) on quitting tobacco, but, that said, nobody is going to force people by banning smoking in the military anytime soon. We support the long term goal of a tobacco free military, but in the short term we’re not going to take people cigarettes away; it’s stressful enough.“
—Record Editor April Taylor contributed to this article