Should the military ban smoking?

[jacobdrj]

AAAaaahhhnould in a movie... If he smoked that stogy anywhere near me, I'd shoot him...

[LnGrrrR]

Some perspective from the AirForce Times

The main reason is economic. The Veterans AFfairs Department spent $5 billion to treat smoking-related emphysema in 2008, and the Military Health System spent about $564 million on tobacco-related costs in 2006-- almost as much as the $611 million in tobacco sales in military stores in 2005.

Oh, and the percentages of smokers in the military:

Any Smoking:

Army - 38.2%
Navy - 32.4%
Marine Corps - 36.3%
Air Force - 23.3%

Any smokeless tobacco:

Army - 18.8%
Navy - 11.1%
Marine Corps - 22.3%
Air Force - 9.2%

Combined cigarette/smokeless tobacco initiation in military (meaning, they started once they got in)

Army - 55.2 %
Navy - 46.5%
Marine Corps - 49%
Air Force - 52.7%

[LnGrrrR]

Other detriments the article cites (but doesn't provide numbers for):

Smokers are more likely to drop out of service before fulfilling their enlistment commitments, worse day and night vision, miss more work, bleed more heavily after surgery, heal slower after injury and are at higher risk for infection.