[...] Should the military ban smoking? [...]

[...] Should the military ban smoking? [...]

So much for the myth of “second hand smoke”. This clearly indicates that these bans are actually a hate campaign toward smokers.

And this is worse than alcohol how? According to the CDC, 61% of adults drank alcohol in 2006 and 22,073 deaths were attributed to being alcohol related (EXCLUDING accidents and homicides). Of those, 13,050 were alcoholic liver desease related. How much money has been spent there?. A study in the UK has shown that the death from alcohol defined conditions almost doubled between 1991 and 2004. Yet all we hear about is smoking and how terrible it is. Yes, we know that smoking causes cancer - so does eating BBQ and breathing. There are many ways for people to kill themselves, smoking is one - alcohol is another. Let’s ban the sale of alcohol on military bases and put a 500% tax on the retail sale of booze like they do smokes. I say quit trying to run my life and let me decide what is best for me, and in what way I’m going to kill myself. Quit biasing all of the reports and articles on smoking and address issues that may not be so popular with the average Joe. Here’s another statistic I found;

Annual health care expenditures for alcohol-related problems amount to $22.5 billion. The total cost of alcohol problems is $175.9 billion a year (compared to $114.2 billion for other drug problems and $137 billion for smoking).

This is from Economic costs of substance abuse, 1995. Dorothy P. Rice. Proceedings of the Association of American Physicians 111(2): 119-125. 1999. This shows that alcohol related health care has resulted in a HIGHER cost than smoking, and this was back in ‘95 when there were more smokers than there are now. Let’s ban alcohol!

As a smoker I’m sick and tired of the populace telling me how to live - or die. You leave my right to smoke myself to death alone,and I’ll leave your right to drink yourself into oblivion alone. Agreed?

P.S. And don’t use that tired old excuse of “second hand smoke” killing non-smokers. It’s less lethal than the drunk driver that veers across the road and kills innocents, or the drunk spouse that beats the heck out of his wife and kids.

In the midst of severe economic problems in the US and around the world… what’s really important? How many hungry children are there in the world? And how many homeless? For each $10.50 (NY Price) pack of cigarettes and alcohol consumed how much more could that do to feed one hungry child. Despite his shortcomings Michael Jackson had the better idea: Man In The Mirror.
Make That Change
http://www.lockergnome.com/jfk/2009/06/25/in-memory-of-michael-jackson/

Disclaimer: I am a smoker.
People tend to forget in their statistics the one statistic that overrides them all- 100% of everyone born eventually dies. With medical science advancing faster than medical ethics it becomes a very expensive proposition to extend the life of a human being through the ‘natural’ limit and in to the 80s, 90s, and in some cases 100s. Yes, smokers do poorly in some categories. Has anyone done a study on how many ex smokers eventually die anyway? (Hint- 100%) I think in our freakish desire to legislate good health habits smoking has been chosen to be the red headed step child at the picnic. We ignore the effects of alcohol, high fat diets, speeding, texting while driving, and even poor vehicle maintenance as areas for improvement because smoking cessation is seen as a quick way to increase statistic longevity. How many people call in sick every day due to a hangover? How many miss work because their car is a clunker that broke down on them today, or even worse caused them to have an accident and require long term care? How about the guy sitting next to you scarfing down french fries and milkshakes at lunch who gives you a look when you light up? Is his coronary going to be up to me and my tax dollars to treat? I say grab the cheeseburger out of his fat fingers just like you grab the cigarette out of mine.I can’t argue with the statistics, but I can say that 100% of all non smokers eventually die also. Michael Jackson is a particularly good example since he proves a point- he was a non smoker who died from other poor health habits. Look in the mirror yourself.

“Michael Jackson is a particularly good example since he proves a point- he was a non smoker who died from other poor health habits. Look in the mirror yourself.” Ugh’ - that’s just a poor shot at cynicism. It does not stand up to the underlying message. Anything else is just plain - selfishness.

Selfishness? I am not the one trying to ordain other people’s lifestyle to fit my own paradigm. Cynical? Not really. Selfish? How many hours have you donated to charity this year? I am not talking about money, that is the easy part. I work at my favorite charity quite often, thank you, and put in effort to help them. So before you call someone selfish or cynical, again look to the mirror yourself.

[...] Should the military ban smoking? [...]

Sid: You’re taking a gamble that someone else does not do charitable works - therefore he/she is wrong. If you want to continue along that line of foolish argumentation - I’ll lift all the images from my computer. Nine-Eleven would be a good starting point for volunteerism. But I’ve heard you say nothing of the real issues. Just as much as your entitled to your opinion so to am I free to publish this article. If you don’t like it - not my problem.

I’m not judging anyone else, and I’m not saying you don’t have a right to your opinions and beliefs. What I am saying is that statements like this - “For each $10.50 (NY Price) pack of cigarettes and alcohol consumed how much more could that do to feed one hungry child. ” you are judging others, implying that they don’t do enough to feed a hungry child. That, quite frankly, is offensive. Then you used the Michael Jackson example to urge people to look at themselves when in reality he was a child molesting freak who self destructed in a manner that had nothing to do with either alcohol or cigarettes. Not, in my opinion, the best way to get your point across. We can agree to disagree, but more to the point, we can agree to respect each other. Pax!

Sid: Your line of reasoning purports to say that cigarettes do no harm to ones health. That is where you are incorrect. Friend of mine just got out of the hospital and is now on oxygen therapy because of it. Tobacco companies are being sued left and right and have to pay millions. The doctor gave him a stern warning. Life is precious and should not be thrown away. Alcohol beverage are no different when it comes to destroying ones health. The celebrity Larry Hagman is a prime example. He warns what abuse to alcohol can do to ones body. There is nothing to agree-disagree about. Those are the facts.

OMG. Additional themes from the nannys. There are a lot of things that humans do that most certainly are unhealthy including smoking. Sex provides pleasure but is not without risk. Thank goodness nobody is campaigning about that.

Smokers apparently pre-pay medical expenses based on the ‘Master Settlement Agreement’ that doubled the price of cigarettes. So those that indulge are already paying for their habit. And, of course, their habit is needed to support the needs of children in the latest federal tax increase.

The government is pushed and pulled in all directions about smoking. Clearly it is best that they encourage smoking because they need the tax revenue and indeed, smokers don’t live as long thereby assisting Social Security by reducing costs. On the other hand, many are offended by smokers. They can’t stand the odor and it’s worse than AX deodorant or some perfumes. Most of all, ex-smokers are reminded of the simple pleasures and buzz of a cigarette and are angry that smoking does kill.

What is not clear is if smoking soldiers are better able to resist the effects of PTSD. After all, not all soldiers are affected. Maybe the smokers are more tolerant of the effects. A lot of soldiers smoked (over 50%) during our past wars and there were fewer ‘issues’ with PTSD.

There must come a time when we should resist a nanny state. If we want to do unhealthy things we should be allowed to do so. But we should understand the risks and carry condoms, just in case. This is the land of freedom, or is it?

“This is the land of freedom, or is it?” WOW! First off - I respect your opinion. But do you honestly believe that throw back line from the ’60’s? “This is the land of the free - I got to be me!” Authenticate freedom is not the freedom to do what we want whenever we want. If I owned a pistol I could not use it because I felt like doing whatever I wanted like those punks in Columbine and call it freedom. That is a logical fallacy. Granted people are permitted to smoke - it’s their choice. I choose not too. I rather protect my lungs, my heart and my pulmonary systems. There are other ways to feel good about ones-self. Exercise is a good example of that. As far as your PTSD argument - that’s a real stretch. Thank God for cigarettes?

Yes the military should ban smoking asap. Cut the tobacco company from growing on my spine and beating heart. As well as other peoples. You also need to advise a recovery plan.

The health nannies are at it again. Next time they’ll be coming after Marion Barry’s crack.
Read my take on this, and come back for more good content.
http://libertarianhumor.com/2009/07/12/no-smoking/

Ban smoking on post…. Have they lost their fucking minds… If you havent been in the military and your tryin to ban smoking…. good fuckin luck

You can comment on this topic at health.mil. It is the focus of the current Healthy Debate.

I think a ban on all smoking would only be logical if they started with the more deadly gas coming from exhaust pipes first ! Otherwise it is simply a stupid American’t reality that has no basis!! I know maybe we can make the bullets more sterile so they don’t cause as much infection too!

You can not win wars without smoking. Trust me, that tobacco tastes so much better when i take care of a terrorist.

Health? that is a pretty dumb argument, considering i can smoke a pack a day and still out run 90% of civilians. If you make something unattainable, people will try to abuse it. How about this for an enlistment campaign “join the military and have all your rights stripped”???? sounds good to me.

Semper Fi

A former sailor said that there are some ships in the U.S. Navy that have no smoking rules - smoking is prohibited.