Smoking ban in the US military?

[Tech]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31911204/ns/health-health_care/

Gates considering report urging total prohibition for active-duty personnel

A Pentagon-commissioned report urges the Defense Department to ban smoking in the military, even by combat troops in battle zones, a proposal that quickly ignited a controversy among service members.

The study, which was completed late last month by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, recommends closing “the pipeline of new tobacco users entering the military” by prohibiting tobacco use in the service academies and officer-training programs like ROTC and eventually instituting a total ban on all use of tobacco by active-duty personnel.



America is such a joke.

smoking = bad
killing poor middle-eastern people for no reason = good

 

[Zigurd]

I wonder if smoking the corpses of babies is within limits of this ban.

 

[Tech]

I wonder if smoking the corpses of babies is within limits of this ban.

as long as there is no tobacco in them.

tobacco is an unhealthy substance created by Al-Qaeda terrorists.

anyone who smokes is a Nazi sympathizer who hates America.

 

[Johnny5]

"... Even by combat troops in battle zones."

What a fucking laugh! Amidst all the battle and carnage and loss that the soldiers go through, some selfish twat thinks it's best for them not to smoke? Something isn't right here. Of course this isn't going to get passed. But hey I'm Canadian what do I know of American politics. :|

 

[Robcardu]

smoker = anti-american


yep, i said it.

 

[Zigurd]

Next up, the Government bans happiness.

 

[Natureboypkr]

On my last deployment there were many of the guys who smoked. It actually kept the guys with bad nerves calm and they were able to get the jobs done no problem.

 

[Hypocrisy86]

^ so what is your take on this Nature?

 

[Natureboypkr]

^It seems like the reason why they want to ban smoking is because all soldiers health care is covered by the US Government. There is one thing I know is that the Government is always looking to cut money on things that matter and spend it on bullshit that we don't need. Overall it seems like they think smoking will lead to smoking-related illnesses and with that be said, they feel that they would have to spend more money to take care of those soldiers.

I don't understand their way of thinking because some of the guys in my squad that smoke performance was not affected at all during missions.

 

[tim290280]

^It seems like the reason why they want to ban smoking is because all soldiers health care is covered by the US Government. There is one thing I know is that the Government is always looking to cut money on things that matter and spend it on bullshit that we don't need. Overall it seems like they think smoking will lead to smoking-related illnesses and with that be said, they feel that they would have to spend more money to take care of those soldiers.

I don't understand their way of thinking because some of the guys in my squad that smoke performance was not affected at all during missions.

Generally it wouldn't most of the side effects of smoking would be longer term. So the reduced lung capacity wouldn't be noticed for several years (and they were already fit to begin with).

Nicotine is actually a powerful mental stimulant and great for skills and memory. Although the relaxation is tied to a lot of other things (focus, removed craving for nicotine, etc).

The cost would be there long term, but then again a guy that is getting shot at for a living tends to have a lower life expectancy and higher medical cost anyway.

 

[Tech]

If their main concern is saving money.....I've got an idea on how they can save billions of dollars...


end the wars.

 

[Johnny5]

Next up, the Government bans happiness.

 

[Natureboypkr]

If their main concern is saving money.....I've got an idea on how they can save billions of dollars...


end the wars.

LOL You and I both know that will never happen.

 

[Clint]

lol. If they banned smoking we'd get so much more work done around here.

It's still dumb.

 

[Tech]

Pentagon won't ban war-zone smoking, despite study

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_military_smoking

WASHINGTON – Smoke 'em if you got 'em. The Pentagon reassured troops Wednesday that it won't ban tobacco products in war zones. Defense officials hadn't actually planned to eliminate smoking — at least for now. But fear of a ban arose among some troops after the Defense Department received a study recommending the military move toward becoming tobacco-free — perhaps in about 20 years.

 

[Hypocrisy86]

^ The soldiers want to smoke let em smoke, thats good news i guess. i still need to contact a buddy of mine to see what he thinks (he did a tour in iraq)