So prisoners can smoke, but soldiers can’t?

this country is crazy..have soldiers risk dying ..usually so a politican can gert votes..then deny them a smoke…why not instead pass a law punishable by death at the hands os soldiers that do not have a smoke when they need one….for any politician that smokes or drinks or eats fast food or lies or doesnt pay his income taxes…or permits any ban such as just suggested for the soldiers.

That’s crazy crap there. If the soldiers are fighting for our freedom, and risking their lives for everyone who doesn’t have the guts to do what they do, and the “government” want to take their right to smoke away is stupid… We aren’t a commie country, they should have the right to smoke in and out of uniform if they want… It’s not like it makes them look any less… If the president of this country can hold a glass of liquor in his hands at a formal party or a cigar, then what are you going to throw him out of office?? Didn’t think so.

First of all, I do not smoke by personal choice; however, I am adamant that the US Army and DOD should not require a smoking ban for military personnel. The demands of a soldier can be stressful, and some choose to smoke as an aid or distraction from their stress. Soldiers are adults who fully understand that smoking may not be a healthy choice, but it should still be their choice. May be we should enforce the simple bans currently in the regulations, like gays not being in the military, instead of trying to pacify the health police in the government and create more red herrings. What’s next, no red meat on military bases so we can placate the Vegans who think meat is unhealthy too?

This is just plain old nuts! How out of touch can the Pentagon be?!?!?

This is such a bad idea isnt suicide rates anyway in the Army that wouldnt help that cause their. Our troops give there lives to protect our freedoms and now you guys wanna take the freedoms they work so hard on protecting away from them what is that. If a soldier wants to smoke well god dam it let him or her smoke they know the risk of smoking just as well as they know the risk everytime a bullet flys pass there heads so give them a break let them smoke lets try and not become a soicalist nation please

You have got to be kidding. They put their lives on the line for us and basically every aspect of their life is dictated to them and now the goverment wants to tell them they can’t smoke. Have they forgotten they are fighting for our freedom. This includes freedom of choice, and for the record no I do not smoke I decided to quit 4 months ago. My God given right to choose.

People who smoke do so to relieve stress and to think better. Banning smoking (especially during wartime) is an extremely dangerous idea.

Just leave them alone they are already the worst paid, under protected people that walks on this planet. People they deserve better than what they are getting now. They are protecting us from the evil and that’s not only from other countries that’s our own country for pennies a day. give them more privileges and show them your support. God Bless the American Soldiers and their Families, who sacrifice so much for people who run this country and all the rest of us.

I don’t like this at all. I would rather see our guys smoking tobacco instead of going out, getting drunk, driving, and endangering the lives of others. So if they ban tobacco, then they need to ban selling alcohol on base as well.

It amazes me how many guys return from war with PTSD, resort to alcohol, and they want to ban tobacco?? Instead of doing a study on tobacco, do it on PTSD and save our HEROES!!! I can NOT attend another military funeral caused by PSTD. I’m honestly in shock that tobacco is the #1 priority right now.

The military only approves soldiers dying of lead poisoning, not lung cancer.

You got to be kidding me. Don’t know how in the world they could pull that one off.I believe you would lose alot of seasoned soldiers if they ban tobacco use in the military.Good Luck Government, think long and hard before you pull the trigger.

Leave the service personel alone. It’s not so much a freedom of choice thing as the one thing to make you feel normal. As a Vet myself I believe that all service people should be able to do this for all that they give!

If they ban soldiers from using tobacco they are violating soldiers’ freedoms. Whatever happened to the Constitution and Bill of Rights which guarantees our freedom to make our own individual choices? Sure, we all know tobacco is bad for your health, but we are all ADULTS, not children. I will never agree with any policy that rips freedom away from those who are willing to die protecting it.

Even our Commander in Chief admits he smokes occassionally. Sure, I know he says he is “trying to quit”. But if he can have a cigarette to relieve tension from his stressful life, why can’t the soldiers fighting and dying for him smoke to relieve the stress of RISKING their lives?

A soldier chooses to be a soldier and they do so knowing the risks… They fight not only to keep America free but also to give that freedom to others in contries they had never heard of before. A soldier accepts that even thou they stand for freedom some freedoms will not be given to them… such as piercing, hair styles, placement of tattoos, even there sexuality- weather it be gay, bi, swinger whatever- and sometimes even who they can love (officer/privat) These are all understandable the military is trying to uphold an image. And although I do not agree with all of them I as a soldier follow the rules with pride – But really a simple pleasure that so many people the world over have every right to partake in being taken away is just silly… Next thing they will try to take away will be fries and coffee… When will there list of taken away freedoms end? If they do take away our smokes I know many soldiers who will walk away from the military… I know many who will have trouble controling thier anger, thier fear, thier moral… This would be Dangerous… and just plain stupid.

Ridiculous!!!!
Let them make their own choice!
Obama smokes for God’s sake!

It’s been a long time since the world was at war and everyone understood the stressful situation that the military has to deal with on a regular basis. We continue to place our young men and women in very stressful situations with no or very little way to relieve stress. Military personnel get divorced, miss births, miss important anniversaries, death of family members (grandparents, aunts, uncles which are not considered immediate family); they see close friends die infront of them. They are trained to react to difficult situations which come back home with them and haunt them, (PTSS). The military fights to make the world a better place and to give freedoms to those that have none. So let’s take away a device that allows them to relieve stress, take away their freedoms. Ever wonder why the suicide rate in the military increases every year.

Next thing you know the will ban drinking and sex.

Not a smart idea. These soldiers are adults; they are brave; they are patriots; they are those who watch over the rest of us. Many of them pay a high price for their service, and they are owed the greatest respect. They are fighting for freedom. Theirs should never be taken away.

You Have Got to Be Kidding Me…….. Leave These Heroes Alone!!
If They Choose to Light Up To Relieve The Unimaginable Stress Our
Nation Puts On Them Then So Be It!! They Are Grown Men and Women Who Serve Our Country and Are Making The Ultimate Sacafice of Life Or Death at Any Moment For Our Safety and Freedom, Most of Them are Not Even Old Enough to Buy a Beer and You Want to Take Ciggy’s From them???
They Choose To Serve This Amazing Country We live in Knowing What Could Happen to Them, Give them The freedom of Choice they are giving to us.

On the surface, the concept of a smoking ban in the Army seems to be contrary to the concept of freedom those serving have sworn to protect. However, it’s a more complicated problem set than that. Such restrictions on tobacco are not new to our society and have been proven constitution through precent. Smoking is banned in all government and state buildings and most private corporations exercise the same restrictions. Additionally, for years, healthcare premiums are increased for who smoke because of the demonstrated long-term additional healthcare costs. The Army provides free healthcare to all Soldiers and bears the full brunt of costs associated with lifestyle choice that private health insurers charges handsomely for. Additionally, the Army is charged with fighting and winning our nation’s wars. A key task in that is protecting the force. That goes beyond body-armor and eye-pro. The protecting the force mindset is embedded in everything we do from safety briefs, to motorcycle certification, to classes on safe POV driving. It’s not out of line with this mentality to take protecting to the force into the concept of preventive healthcare; which is what this smoking ban is all about. The Army pays for our healthcare and depends on our health to complete the mission; a smoking ban nests effectively with both of those concepts. For those who think this is radical…I submit it is not..the Army is just catching up with the cultural shift that has already began across our nation.

Ok I don’t like smoking but give me a break. Our soldier is in Iraq right now and he started smoking and we’re not happy about it but can you blame him ? With all the stress they have to endure and all the risk they’re taking I think we’ll give him this. We’re very proud of him and understand it’s what helps him get through what he’s doing for us. God Bless Our American Soldiers !!!

Discouraging people from voluntarily enlisting may bring back the draft. Drafting people into a smoke free military may cause major problems.

My question is why should we take something like smoking away from the soldiers if civilians can still do it? Why not just ban tobacco like they did alcohol in Prohibition? That didn’t go over too well. You can’t just take something like this away from them. I personally don’t smoke, but that doesn’t mean that I would opt for taking that away from those that do.

I am not a smoker, but I do have a daughter in the Army, a son about to enter the Air Force, a daughter and son-in-law in the Air Force, and many friends who are currently enlisted or prior veterans. The Government is crazy! These soldiers are under enough stress! If they have an addiction to cigarette smoking, how dare you take away that as a reliever of stress in the situations they are in? You have already verified an increase in suicides in the military…do you want even more hanging over your heads? Oh wait, you now have a non-military president making these suggestions, so of course it’s ok with him. No surprise. He has no idea what these troops go through. He can just take a walk in the park or play with his kids.

Hey everyone – thanks so much for all of your comments. I don’t expect a ban on tobacco on military installations and for those in uniform anytime in my lifetime, but I think it’s a debate and discussion worth having, and it’s nice to hear your feedback. When these studies come out, this is just what we should do – have an opend debate – rather than letting them sit on a shelf. -Lindy Kyzer, Army Public Affairs

While not a smoker, I can understand the use benefit that it brings to soldiers. I can also understand how it effects the body regardless of who it is. Regulate but to not ban. Just my $0.02.

So my husband is at AT for the next 2 weeks and as I was telling him about this last night, he, along with his other battle buddies, were not happy at all with this. He informed me today that as they went through their health screening he was told that they PASSED the ban and were just trying to figure out how to implement it. I told him that couldn’t be true since they were just thinking about the ban, but he assured me that he was told it passed. I hope it’s not true. Maybe someone else can shed some light on it.

Thank you for all your feedback on this topic. Your opinions are heard and reported to senior health leaders at DoD. We value your input and, like Lindy said, it’s healthy to have these kind of debates. I would have been a bit concerned if this post hadn’t attracted a single comment. ~ Matt with health.mil

Lets see a politican hump 55 miles with a full load and not be able to sit down and get out a chew and just kick back. This will not pass, no way!!!!

these brave men and women spend their days getting shot at and nearly blown to pieces, if anyone deserves a god damn cigarette, it’s them!

@Army Wife
Army Wife – thanks for your comment. No policy has passed, recommendations were simply made, based on a study. If any changes are made, we’ll let you know! – Lindy, Army Public Affairs

This seems pretty outrageous to me. It’s pretty evident that smoking is hazardous to your health, but to take it away seems like a violation of your 10th Amendment rights…

Um, Okay….So what are you going to do if you ban smoking and you catch someone in a warzone with a cig? Send them to Leavenworth? Give them an Article 15? PuHlease!! These are people getting shot at on a daily basis.

That is insane. I say if they want to smoke a cigarette than let them! They are out there every day being shot at and you are telling me that they should be denied that? That has got to be one of the stupidest ideas! Really people? No smoking for soldiers that are risking their lives for us but we at home can?

You have to be kidding This soldier is willing to give his life but if he lites up he goes to jail. Someone has too much time on his/her hands CNN shame on you, do something constructive FOR the country. I don’t smoke but I don’t like taking away adult rights to soldiers or anybody for that matter. Governebr should get out of peoples lives, there is no first admenment anymore it’s gone and no one cares.

I wonder who came up with this idea. Was a test of some kind performed that showed that tobacco or cigarette smoking effect the judgment or reaction time of a soldier in time of a crisis? If that’s not the case then leave our HEROES alone!!

I’m currently serving in combat zone in Afghanistan, I believe in theater there should be no tobacco products as there is no alcohol in theater. In the States to have a ban is kinda ridiculous, but army regs say basically do nothing unprofessional in uniform and I think smoking and chewing is unprofessional. Scouts Out

they say 33% smokes, how about how many in the military use ANY form of tabacco, i know alot of soldiers that dont “smoke”, but chew, dip, snuff, these are much more widely used as i can see, some use both, just curious

i think its bull to ban it, its personal choice and it may affect your health, but wtf does sending you to iraq and afganastan to fight do?
joshwaisenguard@hotmail.com

I agree with banning it. A Soldier who smokes, at best, has 87% of the physical endurance of a nonsmoking Soldier. We are fighting illiterate terrorists who will hide behind a concrete wall and blind-fire over it until the Bradley cannon goes through it. Relatively easy compared to highly-trained Korean People’s Army or whoever the next enemy may be, but we need to think about the welfare of the nation and free people around the world, and future conflicts, not about ourselves and not about the present. We need to think now about how to fight tomorrow’s war.