[CNN] Study recommends total ban on smoking for soldiers

[FordGT90Concept]

I heard about this a few days ago...

You've seen the iconic picture of a soldier with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, but that could soon be a thing of the past.

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.

According to the study, tobacco use impairs military readiness in the short term. Over the long term, it can cause serious health problems, including lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. The study also says smokeless tobacco use can lead to oral and pancreatic cancer.

CONTINUED (http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/12/military.smoking.ban/index.html)

Hmmmm....

[erocker]

War can lead to instant death, mutilation and many other fucked up kinds of harm. Let the soldiers make the dicisions on smoking, not some buerocrastic research nanny nazis.

[WhiteLotus]

erm...

Odd. That is all i can say. Let the soldiers make the decisions. Hell i bet the people that made the decision have never been in a high risk situation... ever. Put them in the same position and they'll be lighting up left right and center.

I hate closed decisions like this, really grates me. Same thing happening here to our troops, apparently they are aren't doing it right. Well lets see how well you fair there mr lawyer who doesn't know a crap when you got bullets flying over your head. Tit.

[FordGT90Concept]

Surprisingly, I too disagree with the recommendation. Maybe they shouldn't be selling them on base but they shouldn't be banned. To ban cigarettes may mean spending a whole lot more on dealing with PTSD defeating the purpose of banning it in the first place.

[btarunr]

Big whoop. They just wasted thousands of dollars of public money on this "study" which basically rephrased the ill-effects of tobacco consumption in general, which were known for ages. Nothing new to learn.

The people making these decisions and conducting studies have all the comforts at their disposal. Give the soldiers a break!

[Iarwain]

You know, I'm torn here. Overall, I think let the soldiers decide. But I also have a bit of sympathy with the study. Long-term, this can cause problems for the guys, taking some of them out of service before they might have otherwise.

But I think most smoking health problems come about long after they've left the service.

[FordGT90Concept]

Yeah, which VA will eventually be paying for (already underfunded). Tobacco calms them down in the heat of battle but it isn't good that they are sucking/chewing on an enemy that could kill them too. I'm torn aswell.

[KieranD212]

Smoking during combat is retarded it gives away troop positions.
Smoking in general no matter what your experience is, it is health degenerating; problems can include BAD BREATHING, increased likeliness of having asthma, increased likeliness of gaining cancer although your more likely to die from a roadside bomb so this isnt really a soldier based problem, increased cost of giving troops access to cigarettes, has a lot of cosmetic issues like changing colour of skin and loss of teeth or making teeth less strong.

Soldiers are dumb to smoke, people are so dumb that they have to forced to do things, given a choice someone will take the bad option its a fact.

Me i dont like soldiers they follow morally questionable acts like social accepted killing, soldiers also willingly take the risk of death not asked of them at all we dont have conscription in the UK, they take combat training outside of the armed forces if they are on leave or if they retire from the armed forces like quit their job this means they can kill a person easily with there training or injure someone easily, being drunk or arguing can cause someone to do this. Manslaughter or not you should know better.

Oh your a hero you killed people that where not even attacking your mainland you where attacking their land.

WW2 and similar wars really were morally justified, things like Vietnam and Iraq not so much.

[WhiteLotus]

Hmm yes because allowing a solider to light up at the end of the day after successfully not dying via means of a road side bomb, friendly fire, bad equipment, an insurgent attack... well.... well that's just criminal.

I mean come on people, high stress... give these guys a break, they need it.

[btarunr]

I don't think you're allowed to smoke during combat. You can smoke whenever you're off-guard (like when you're sharing Playboy with a mate in a bunker).

[Papahyooie]

Soldiers havent been allowed to smoke on duty unless given leave by thier supervising officer for a while if i'm not mistaken. Im actually thinking of going into the military and i'll be damned if I'm protecting some asshat's country and he's telling me I cant light up at the end of the day. Regardless of whether its bad or not, soldiers in America protect Americans' FREEDOM!!! Hell if I were a commanding officer, my men would get smoke breaks regardless of what these turd wranglers with too much budget say. The health problems with smoking dont normally come until later in life, and soldiers are in tip top physical shape anyway. As long as you keep your lungs healthy through physical training you'll stave off any problems until long after youre elligable to make the decision to leave the services.

Bottom line... soldiers (in america at least) are sworn to protect freedom... i dont think anyone would be out of line to invoke thier oath of protecting freedom (i know the wording says "constitution" but i doubt anyone will disagree) from any threat, foreign or domestic. This sounds like a domestic threat to freedom to me.

Maybe they need a little bit of marine boot in the ass, then maybe it'll pop thier heads out of there.

EDIT: Oh and read the last sentence of that article in the OP:
"The study found that profits from those tobacco sales -- $80 million to $90 million -- often pay for recreation and family programs on base."

All us smokers are evil, disgusting degenerates aren't we?

[DanTheBanjoman]

War can lead to instant death, mutilation and many other fucked up kinds of harm. Let the soldiers make the dicisions on smoking, not some buerocrastic research nanny nazis.

Next time some kid says "nanananana" I'll be kicking im in the ace saying "never call me nazi nanny".

I think having soldiers smoke helps he local economy.

[W1zzard]

that is completely retarded .. you want relaxed soldiers not people that think about being unable to have a cigarette all the time.

[DrPepper]

Soldiers havent been allowed to smoke on duty unless given leave by thier supervising officer for a while if i'm not mistaken. Im actually thinking of going into the military and i'll be damned if I'm protecting some asshat's country and he's telling me I cant light up at the end of the day. Regardless of whether its bad or not, soldiers in America protect Americans' FREEDOM!!! Hell if I were a commanding officer, my men would get smoke breaks regardless of what these turd wranglers with too much budget say.

Well by joining the military in the first place your automatically putting your own needs aside and putting the nations first even if that means making the ultimate sacrifice (your life) Anyway I agree/disagree with it. Not on health issues but smokers never stop complaining about needing a fag and that comprimises the units combat effictiveness which is paramount. We get taught that its best not to smoke at all during the military because it adds stress when you aren't able to smoke which is quite alot of the time. In the RN we aren't allowed to smoke onboard ships as far as ive been told and we're on them for months at a time.

[DonInKansas]

Smoke em if you got em.

[3991v]

Wow, thats retarded. If the soldiers want a smoke, damnit they should have a smoke. They're the legal age. Our government is fucked up. If you're old enough to die for your own country, you should be able to have a smoke.

Smoking during combat is retarded it gives away troop positions.
Smoking in general no matter what your experience is, it is health degenerating; problems can include BAD BREATHING, increased likeliness of having asthma, increased likeliness of gaining cancer although your more likely to die from a roadside bomb so this isnt really a soldier based problem, increased cost of giving troops access to cigarettes, has a lot of cosmetic issues like changing colour of skin and loss of teeth or making teeth less strong.

Soldiers are dumb to smoke, people are so dumb that they have to forced to do things, given a choice someone will take the bad option its a fact.

Me i dont like soldiers they follow morally questionable acts like social accepted killing, soldiers also willingly take the risk of death not asked of them at all we dont have conscription in the UK, they take combat training outside of the armed forces if they are on leave or if they retire from the armed forces like quit their job this means they can kill a person easily with there training or injure someone easily, being drunk or arguing can cause someone to do this. Manslaughter or not you should know better.

Oh your a hero you killed people that where not even attacking your mainland you where attacking their land.

WW2 and similar wars really were morally justified, things like Vietnam and Iraq not so much.

NO U

[Rothbardian]

Let 'em smoke.

Shit, soldiers can't even have a damn beer until they're 21. So, you're old enough to die (for nothing), vote for politicians, and be tried as an adult....but you're not old enough for a drink?

Fuck that