Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the military. The DoD spends $1.6 billion per year on tobacco related medical care and lost days of work, with $564 million of that estimated as direct medical costs (Military – American Lung Association). In 2008, the Veterans Administration (VA) reported spending over $5 billion to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease alone, 90% of whose cases are attributed to smoking (Military – American Lung Association).
Last year the DoD proposed stopping the sale of tobacco products on military bases as part of their budget. This item was removed during the house armed service committee’s hearing on DoD appropriations. Representative Duncan Hunter, (R) California’s 52nd district, championed the removal by vocally opposing a stop in the sale of tobacco at all U.S. Naval bases, citing freedom of choice (Mechanic, 2014). Representatives Richard Hudson, North Carolina, and Tom Rooney, Florida, also openly oppose the ban stating that efforts to restrict access to tobacco products are inappropriate given the pressing national security concerns (Mechanic, 2014). All three Representatives receive campaign contributions from tobacco lobbies.
As a primary care physician in the Navy I support restricting the sale of tobacco on U.S. Bases. This does not affect a service members choice to smoke, but does affect their access to tobacco. A change that would likely lower tobacco use rates.
Military Tobacco Use 