Buying discounted tobacco products will be a thing of the past for military servicemembers, according to The Associated Press. Recently, the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee slashed the 25 percent discount on tobacco products allowed to soldiers in a defense spending bill that will begin Oct. 1.
Promoting soldiers' health
While financial reasons have been have been cited among the reasons for the change, lawmakers and others mention the inherent health problems associated with tobacco products most frequently.
"I don't know if there's anybody in America who still thinks that tobacco is good for you," Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said, according to Stars and Stripes. "The dollars are one thing. But the health of your people — I don't know if you put a price tag on that."
According to the American Lung Association, soldiers that smoke frequently suffer a wide range of health concerns. On its webpage, the group reported that soldiers that smokers are more likely to suffer injuries, perform worse on military fitness evaluations and are more stressed than soldiers who do not smoke, according to reports. Additionally, smoking is one of the main predictors of military training failure.
Reducing smoking in servicemembers
Another noteworthy issue, studies show that members of the military tend to smoke at higher rates than civilians. According to the American Lung Association, 30 percent of all members in the armed forces smoked as of 2008. On top of that, 9.5 percent of military personnel smoked heavily.
The News Tribune reported that military leaders intend to dramatically decrease tobacco use in soldiers by 2020. The AP also reported that some lawmakers are attempting to restrict the use and sale of tobacco. However, Rep. Duncan Hunter had managed to convince members of the House Armed Services Committee in May that the right to smoke should be preserved for soldiers, calling the habit one of the few pleasures for a servicemember.