| T O B A C C O A N D R E A D I N E S S |
In 2009 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report recommending that the military ban use of tobacco, because of its adverse effects on readiness and because of the cost of tobacco-related illnesses and accidents to both the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).1 Both DoD and VA have instituted comprehensive tobacco control programs within their facilities, and both have developed good tobacco cessation programs. However, DoD still sells tobacco products on its bases and other facilities at discounted prices. This may play a role in the fact that more active duty service personnel (30%) and more veterans (22%) use tobacco than the general population.
We've learned about the many adverse effects of tobacco in other parts of the Stop Tobacco Shop. Because military personnel tend to start smoking at a very young age, their risk for chronic health problems is great. In addition, there are some short-term effects of tobacco use that have an immediate negative impact on readiness:
Effects of Smoking on Military Readiness and Performance
Tobacco use affects military readiness by:
- impairing physical endurance and performance capacity;
- impairing visual performance, dark adaptation, and night vision;
- accelerating age-related hearing loss and potentially interacting with noise-induced hearing loss;
- impairing vigilance and cognitive function (nicotine withdrawal);
- increasing the risk of motor-vehicle collisions and other accidents;
- increasing work absenteeism (due to illness, accidents, and alcohol and substance abuse);
- increasing the risk of lower respiratory tract infections;
- increasing the risk of peptic ulcer disease;
- impairing wound healing;
- increasing postoperative complications;
- increasing the risk of periodontal disease; and
- possibly increasing the risk of acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP).2
Endangering yourself and your comrades through tobacco use does NOT support Army Values!
Smoking and the Warfighter
Download this poster as a reminder to your unit of the health effects described above!
