US: Tobacco Sales Ban Considered by Navy

Source from:  Guardian Liberty Voice  06/09/2014

Tobacco sales in stores on Navy and Marine Corps bases, as well as sales on Navy ships are under threat in a plan being put forward by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. Mabus wants to see the Navy Department, including the Marine Corps, to consider being the first military department to put a ban in place which prohibits the sale of tobacco.

In an interview during his visit to Rhode Island earlier this week, Mabus explained because it is so evident that "tobacco hurts you" it is not in the interests of the Navy to sell and encourage the consumption of a product which is known to make a person less fit and resilient. According to a report from the American Heart Association, cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable illnesses and premature deaths in the United States. Over 400,000 lives are lost each year as smokers see an increase in diseases such as emphysema, heart disease and stroke.

Despite the wealth of information which points to smoking tobacco as such a detrimental practice in terms of physical health, around 25 percent of the adult population in the United States continue to smoke. Promoting the cessation of smoking is one of the most beneficial public health efforts, according to surveys such as those published in the Harm Reduction Journal. Researchers in the field of tobacco-harm reduction advocate for measures that will not only encourage smokers to consider quitting, but also support them in relapse prevention. Habitual buying of cigarettes and being around people who smoke are two things that are detrimental to any smoker who is trying to quit, and Mabus recognizes these elements by targeting the sales of tobacco by the Navy. Should his ban go though, there would likely be more opportunity and incentive for marines and sailors to give up smoking.

The designated smoking areas at Navy and Marine Corp installations and on Navy ships would remain as they are should the ban go through, but the sale of tobacco products would no longer be allowed. According to a Defense Department survey in 2011, 24 percent of troops smoke, which is four percent higher than the rate of smokers amongst the general population. Of those who smoke heavily, 80 percent say they use smoking as a stress-reduction technique. Opponents to the ban argue that smoking may be unhealthy, but it is not illegal and therefore sales in the Navy should continue as they are.

Representative Duncan Hunter, R-Cal, is an ex-marine who is in opposition to the ban. Hunter has stated that any person who gets shot at and sleeps in the dirt for their county is entitled to a cigarette should they want to smoke one. More opposition has come from Representative Joe Courtney, D-Conn, who argues there can be a balance in allowing adults their rights, especially if they are people that are serving their country.

A study published in Tobacco Induced Diseases found that socioeconomic status and education around the dangers of smoking were the strongest factors that influenced smokers in their decision and ability to quit their habit. Many studies have found that quitting smoking is a dynamic process which involves lots of repeated attempts. The availability of tobacco and the presence of other smokers is certainly detrimental for smokers who are considering quitting. Mabus has proposed that by banning tobacco sales in the Navy, smoking prevalence rates will fall. Enditem