Posted on Nov 4, 2015
How long did it take you to quit smoking cigarettes after DoD started to officially discourage smoking in 1986?
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The US Army was smoking in the civil war and probably earlier. In WWII cigarettes were included in rations in part because service men and women liked to smoke and in part because the tobacco companies wanted to encourage smoking. In the late 1970's and early 1980's studies were conducted and released that demonstrated smoking was bad for us.
First change was smoking was limited to designated smoking areas in garrison. In 1986 DoD Directive 1010.10 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention began to emphasize that tobacco use was a health issue.
When I enlisted in 1974 smoking was encouraged and if you smoked you could take a smoke break. Sometimes non-smokers had to continue the work detail while smokers took a break.
Did the DoD program to discourage smoking help you to quit smoking?
FYI PVT Mark BrownCPT (Join to see) MSgt David HoffmanSgt (Join to see)Sgt (Join to see)SFC (Join to see)cmsgt-rickey-denickeSGT Forrest FitzrandolphCW3 Matt HutchasonLTC (Join to see)SR Marcus PinedaSGT Gerald Palen SGT Steve McFarlandCol Carl WhickerSP5 Billy MullinsSFC David XantenPFC Jose EscobarSFC (Join to see)SGT Mark AndersonCW4 Craig Urban
First change was smoking was limited to designated smoking areas in garrison. In 1986 DoD Directive 1010.10 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention began to emphasize that tobacco use was a health issue.
When I enlisted in 1974 smoking was encouraged and if you smoked you could take a smoke break. Sometimes non-smokers had to continue the work detail while smokers took a break.
Did the DoD program to discourage smoking help you to quit smoking?
FYI PVT Mark BrownCPT (Join to see) MSgt David HoffmanSgt (Join to see)Sgt (Join to see)SFC (Join to see)cmsgt-rickey-denickeSGT Forrest FitzrandolphCW3 Matt HutchasonLTC (Join to see)SR Marcus PinedaSGT Gerald Palen SGT Steve McFarlandCol Carl WhickerSP5 Billy MullinsSFC David XantenPFC Jose EscobarSFC (Join to see)SGT Mark AndersonCW4 Craig Urban
Health
Smoking
Cigars
Edited 5 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 38
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The only time I smoked in the military was when I was hooked in wrong rappelling from a helicopter, and that stopped as soon as I got those gloves off.
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LTC Stephen F.
That sounds like a painful memory to have your gloves actually smoking as you rappelled MSG Brad Sand :-)
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MSG Brad Sand
LTC Stephen F.
Still have the scars to prove it...learned that gravity is a law and not just a really good idea, and that while the fall can hurt, it is the sudden stop that leaves the real marks. :)
Still have the scars to prove it...learned that gravity is a law and not just a really good idea, and that while the fall can hurt, it is the sudden stop that leaves the real marks. :)
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Quite to the contrary; LTC Stephen F.. Our Drill Sergeants gave us the shout out: "Light 'em up if you got em'."
It took me many failed attempts to quit smoking; until I finally succeeded in quitting in 1990. I was teaching emotionally handicapped children, as a Teachers' Aide; at the time. I just decided that the Nicorette gum was too expensive.
It took me many failed attempts to quit smoking; until I finally succeeded in quitting in 1990. I was teaching emotionally handicapped children, as a Teachers' Aide; at the time. I just decided that the Nicorette gum was too expensive.
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I started smoking at the age of 14...but was never a smoker like my friends. A pack would last me a week or more. After entering the service and getting to my first assignment I went to the BX and purchased a carton of cigarettes. I'd never thought about quiting before this. I got back to my office. Opened the carton, took out a package. Opened the package....and thought Why do I smoke? I took out one cigarette and put it in my middle desk drawer. Took the rest of the pack and the carton and put it in the trash. One year later I took the cigarette out of my desk drawer and threw it away.
No help with any DoD programs back then. This was in the fall of 1983
Personally I think anyone can quit if they just put their mind to it.
No help with any DoD programs back then. This was in the fall of 1983
Personally I think anyone can quit if they just put their mind to it.
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SSG Todd Halverson
I started smoking in 1985 while I was in basic. It was a good way to get the extra breaks when the DIs needed a smoke. If you smoked you got a break, if not they would find something for you to do. I would usually smoke about 1 -1.5 packs every other day throughout my career. When I deployed, it was usually more. I didn't quit smoking until after I retired. I have been smoke free since March 2014. The only real change I saw in the 80's was you were no long allowed to smoke in your office, had to make sure you were at least 50' from the building and if you had a roommate he had to agree to your smoking in the room. Luckily I always had roommates that smoked.
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