Tobacco use and the military

May 31st is both Memorial Day and the 33rd annual World No Tobacco Day, and these two days of observation might have more in common than you would expect. ​The U.S. military has a culture of tobacco use, which decades of tobacco industry targeting has helped create and support. Not only has this culture driven smoking rates to be significantly higher among service members than the rest of the population, it also impairs their military readiness and levels of performance. 

---

​Prevalence and Trends

• Big Tobacco has targeted military members for years, calling them a "captive audience"  with a high potential for sales and regularly have on-base marketing events.
• In 2011, the most recent year data are available, 24 percent of military personnel smoked, compared with 19 percent of the civilian population who smoked at that time.

• Twenty-five percent of men and 17.8 percent of women in the military were smokers in 2011.
• There is an inverse relationship between smoking in the military and pay grade; the lowest paid military personnel had a much higher smoking prevalence than the highest paid officers.
• The risk of starting to smoke for military members is nearly twice as likely among males and those ages 18 to 29, compared with females and adults aged over 45.
• A 2016 Department of Defense study found that 38 percent of current smokers in the military began smoking after joining. Among junior enlisted personnel, about 30 percent report current cigarette smoking after joining the military.

Members of the military face unique challenges in their battle against tobacco use, including prolonged deployments, cultural pressures and access to cheap tobacco products. Reducing tobacco use in the military is a critical step in protecting the health of the men and women who protect us. If you are a current service member or a veteran, you can access free help and resources at quitnowindiana.com or by calling
1-800-QUITNOW. For more information about tobacco use in the military, click here.

---