- Military service members are shown to be more likely to take up the habit of smoking than civilians.
Smoking is a habit that for decades has been attributed to the development of cancer that can lead to death. Yet, for those who lead stressful lives, a cigarette can be seen as a relief, although at the expense of their health.
In the U.S., military services members, often placed in harm’s way, are shown to be more likely to take up the habit of smoking than civilians, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Statistics reported by the CDC show that from 2010 to 2015, 21.6 percent of military service members started their tobacco habit after entering the military. The rate increases depending on the role and status of military service.
“Cigarette smoking is more common among service members who have been deployed overseas,” the CDC states.
The financial impacts go beyond just the price of a pack of smokes, as the CDC reports that during 2014, about $1.8 billion was spent by the Department of Defense for medical and non-medical expenses due to the use of tobacco.
Jarred Taylor, a 13-year veteran of the Air Force who also served two years with the Air National Guard, said that during his service he saw a number of fellow military men and women develop the habit. He said combined with the chemicals from burn pits deployed service members are potentially exposed to, smoking tobacco adds to the damage to a person’s lungs.
“So, smoking just adds a whole other layer of bringing your life expectancy down,” Taylor said.
In response, a government agency and an independent campaign are working to help veterans kick the habit and improve their quality of life.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers medication and counseling services to help former service members stop smoking. Medications offered by the VA can include nicotine replacement therapy such as chewing gum, nasal sprays or skin patches, and prescribed medications including bupropion and varenicline, the agency states. Counseling services are offered through in-person meetings individually or with a group.
One campaign, Smoke Less Vets, takes a different approach to helping veterans snuff out the habit by advocating for the use of alternative tobacco products not supported by the VA. Those products include e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches that do not contain tobacco.
As an advocate for Smoke Less Vets, Taylor is concerned about the VA dissuading people from using e-cigarettes, pouches and other alternative forms of nicotine as cessation methods. While he admits those substances are not entirely safe, he said they can be effective methods to help a person quit smoking and using nicotine products altogether.
“If we can walk somebody away from cigarettes themselves by using some of those things, it’s way better than continuing with cigarettes,” Taylor said.
Ultimately, the goal of Smoke Less Vets is to help 500,000 veterans quit smoking by 2035, the campaign notes.
“They have given a tremendous amount for us, and we need to make sure we’re giving back to them,” another advocate of Smoke Less Vets, Ryan Taylor, said about the nation’s veterans.
For more information on the Veterans Administration’s efforts to help veterans quit smoking, visit the website. To learn more about Smoke Less Vets, visit here.
Jeremy Pittari
