Pentagon considers smoking ban for military

[Josquius]

Fairly common sense though I do see a huge problem in that military personnel living on a base/ship/whatever don't exactly get 'off work' in quite the same way civilians do.

[Berkut]

The military needs to pull their head out of there ass.

Don't go banning anything. Just make it hard as hell to do (no smoking in buildings, or within 50ft. of any building or on ship or near an aircraft (say 500ft.). Other than that, puff away!

Oh, and quadruple the taxes on smokes sold in the PX and such. To pay for something or other. Then keep increasing them.

And you lsoe some points on your fitness report if you smoke. But you are allowed to smoke! Go right ahead!

[Ed Anger]

I might have to revive my cigarette smuggling career.

[Berkut]

You're advocating the US military become like NuLabour Britain ? 

Well yeah, except that they kill people.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

should go over well. The Military is well known for it's open attitude to change. :p

[sbr]

Pretty soon you will be able to smoke pole, but not cigs.

[crazy canuck]

Reminds me of a line from the recent movie "Paschendale"

The lead actor playing a WWI veteran of trench warfare is asked during a fundraising effort for the war what is a soldier's biggest worry.  Several helpful suggestions are given by the questioner such as artillery, machine gun fire and gas.  The soldier's response was "wet matches".  He goes on to explain that if a soldier has wet matches he cant have a smoke to calm his nerves while getting shelled, fired upon and gased.

[Malthus]

Reminds me of a line from the recent movie "Paschendale"

The lead actor playing a WWI veteran of trench warfare is asked during a fundraising effort for the war what is a soldier's biggest worry.  Several helpful suggestions are given by the questioner such as artillery, machine gun fire and gas.  The soldier's response was "wet matches".  He goes on to explain that if a soldier has wet matches he cant have a smoke to calm his nerves while getting shelled, fired upon and gased.

Nowadays his biggest worry is evidently busibodies who are concerned about his health sufficiently to take away his ability to have a smoke while being shot at or blown up. 

[FunkMonk]

I didn't start smoking until I joined the Army. Actually, to be more precise, until the night before I crossed the border into Iraq in an old Humvee with no windows and laughably thin armor plates thrown on the bottom at the last minute. :goarmy: 

Since then it's been on and off. When I was deployed, probably a pack every week or two. Now, I'd say I have a cigarette maybe three or four times a year. 

[Ed Anger]

and laughably thin armor plates thrown on the bottom at the last minute. :goarmy: 

It worked for the A-Team.

[CountDeMoney]

I can also hear the screams of army recruiters if they need to tell smokers that they must quit before they can sign up.

They do that anyway, because it's suicide going into basic training as a smoker.  What with all that running around and shit.

[AnchorClanker]

I'd rather have happy soldiers willing to work and fight, even if it means they are more likely to die from lung cancer 40 years from now, than unhappy soldiers an inch away from mutiny.

I can also hear the screams of army recruiters if they need to tell smokers that they must quit before they can sign up.

Smoking is usually banned in basic training/boot camp (for the USAF at least, what little I can find says the same for the Army, dunno if really true, though).  You'd think it would be a good crash course to giving up the habit, but many take it right back up.

Same for USN boot camp.  We lost our AROC because he bummed a smoke off the gal at the bank and somebody saw him.
I picked it right back up at O'Hare Airport a few hours after graduation.

[AnchorClanker]

PS - I remember talk of a "Smoke-Free Navy 2000" at that time... it's not going to work now, as it didn't then.

[Neil]

Reminds me of a line from the recent movie "Paschendale"

The lead actor playing a WWI veteran of trench warfare is asked during a fundraising effort for the war what is a soldier's biggest worry.  Several helpful suggestions are given by the questioner such as artillery, machine gun fire and gas.  The soldier's response was "wet matches".  He goes on to explain that if a soldier has wet matches he cant have a smoke to calm his nerves while getting shelled, fired upon and gased.

Nowadays his biggest worry is evidently busibodies who are concerned about his health sufficiently to take away his ability to have a smoke while being shot at or blown up. 

I've noticed a certain crossover between anti-smoking zealots and the sort of people who believe that the military should be abolished.  Then again, there are also those Baptists who believe in blowing up all non-whites, but that anything that is fun should be banned.

[Valmy]

I've noticed a certain crossover between anti-smoking zealots and the sort of people who believe that the military should be abolished.

Yes they are both mainly Germans?