This is how the tobacco industry goes after young vets

Feb 5, 2020 6:59 PM PST

1 minute read

SUMMARY

According to truth, the smoking rate for military servicemen and women is higher than the average smoking rate – and it’s not a coincidence. The…

According to truth, the smoking rate for military servicemen and women is higher than the average smoking rate – and it's not a coincidence.

The tobacco industry specifically targets young service members — with a particular concentration on enlistees over officers — because they considered the military to be "less educated," "part of the wrong crowd," and having "limited job prospects."

According to a U.S. Department of Defense memo, once they become smokers, members of the military face unique challenges in their battle against tobacco use, including prolonged deployments, cultural pressures, and access to cheap tobacco products. (Image via truth)

In other words, the tobacco industry takes advantage of young troops' willingness to serve their country, targets them when they're most vulnerable, and then locks them in to a destructive addiction that not only threatens their mission, but their lives.

The Department of Defense spends more than $1.6 billion each year on tobacco-related medical care, increased hospitalization, and lost days of work. And it has been estimated that $2.7 billion in Veterans Health Administration health care expenditures are due to the health effects of smoking.

Truth teamed up with Navy SEAL Kaj Larsen and other veterans to fight back by arming smokers and non-smokers with facts — and ways to quit. Check out the video below:

If you want to quit smoking, there are many options for you, including a smoking cessation program from TRICARE or this very, very unofficial military manual for quitting smoking and dipping.