Tobacco Use in The Military (Research Paper Sample)

Courtney Roberts
Professor Linfoot
WRTG 394: Annotated Bibliography
8 Oct. 2015
Tobacco Use in the Military
* Introduction
Tobacco is the major ingredient that is used in the processing of cigarettes. Tobacco smoking is that act of burning and inhaling smoke that is emitted from its substance. The use of tobacco amongst personnel of the U.S military is said to be much higher than that of the other citizens in the United States. The military especially those in the navy and army are said to engage more in heavy smoking. This paper tries to find out how social influences and advertising has made the younger population an easy target for today’s military.
The paper also focuses on the social influences and how perception of smoking has increased the number of smokers in the younger military population in the course of their military career. The paper concludes by looking at the issues that are raised from smoking that includes physical concerns, cost and mental readiness.
The purpose of this research paper is to analyze and reveal statistical data to all my colleagues who are both smokers and non smokers on tobacco, how it is strong and dominating in the military department.
1 Social influence and advertising has made the younger population an easy target for today’s military
* Upbringing (parental guidance)
Families have very strong influences on both the young people and their children. Social influences lead to interactions within various groups or individuals. Good social relationships are associated to better level of informal care, social cohesion and curbing of vices like smoking and sexual practices. Individual are always said to imitate to what happens in the social environments that they thrive in. Individuals brought up in environments that are positive are less likely to abuse substances like alcohol, smoking unlike those in environment which are negative to their upbringing.
* Discounted prices
Some products which are harmful in nature come with attractive pieces and commodities that are attached with that tend to lure the young generation to buying them. This leads to the young generation succumbing to these products which are cheap and have attached commodities onto them when bought.
* Body
* Perception of peers using tobacco
1 Visible designated smoking areas
Designated smoking vicinity refers to places which smokers are allowed to smoke in. In 1978, smoking restrictions were implemented in the U.S military which included designated areas for smoking and non smoking. The places that are restricted against smoking are regarded as free choices to civilians. The ban policy only allows the military to smoke in the recreational places, restaurants, the family housings, prison quarters, and the clubs and in the military barracks. However they are not allowed to smoke in building or vehicle that is owned by the Department of Defense.
2 Non-smokers may think smoking is cool.
Role model and social influences are associated with the initiation of the culture of smoking in the military. Non-smokers tend to believe that smoking is culturally accepted behavior that is encouraged amongst the military members. These young military personnel are inclined to think that it’s fashionable to smoke once you are in the military in view of the fact that their role models who are also in the military embrace this act of smoking. This happens despite the numerous rules and regulations imposed by the United States Air force. Non-smokers also imagine that smoking helps in relieving stress.
3 Smoking helps chances of getting breaks from work
Smoking breaks are the only reasons sanctioned for one to take breaks from work. They meet at designated areas referred to as smoking pits. These are places that are regarded as places of socializing. During smoking breaks, senior and junior personnel are able to mingle despite the ranks is attached to. The breaks are offered to the military men who believe that it is their right to smoke.
* Living with roommates who smoke
1 Might persuade non smoker to smoke
Research shows that 8% to 10% of the non-smokers took up the practice of smoking in the first year of working in the military service. There are no studies yet that have been made on the influence of the role models and peers over the induction of non smokers into smoking. The non-smokers in most instances get initiated into smoking due to the fact that their colleagues are smokers. The non-smokers also tend to emulate their classroom instructors or training leaders who are their role models. Smoking norms that include smoking breaks is seen as privilege amongst the military servicemen which too influence non-smokers to take up the smoking. As the progress of the training hikes up, new military service men start experiencing levels of freedom as restrictions on smoking are minimized. The closeness between the military students initiates non smokers into smoking as it is done in designated restricted locations that are outdoor giving the impression to their non-smokers that most of their colleagues who embrace the vice of smoking.
2 Easy to obtain tobacco if stressed or overwhelmed
Tobacco manufacturing companies targets military personnel as their main market. This is because it is believed that it helps them psychologically in boosting their working morale. Can be dated back to World War 2 where cigarette manufacturing companies endorsed the practice of smoking in war as they sent cigarettes to the military. Everyone was urged to aid in the military men by sending them cigarettes. The Department of Defense in 2005, gave instruction that lead to reduction of prices of cigarettes in all outlets of military barracks. The reduction of the cigarette prices encourages smoking as they cheap and easily accessible.
* Watching military instructors smoke
1 Look up to as a role model
Role models who are the military instructors have been close associates with the process of initiation and re-initiation into the smoking amongst the young military. The classroom instructors and military leaders are the leading influencers’ to smoking in military camps. Professionals who smoke create an impression to the young military personnel that it is a culture which is accepted and should be encouraged in camps. Due to this, the young military adopt the practice despite of the prominent antismoking policies from the United States Air Force. The military also advocates for equal rights to the young military personnel to be allowed to smoke.
2 Takes breaks with non smokers
Smoking is a non-existent behavior during basic training of incoming young military personnel. The breaks taken for the purpose of smoking are perceived as being legitimate. The non-smokers are not allowed to take such breaks makes them feel treated unfairly. This leads to most of them to start smoking to earn such breaks. The break also offers them opportunity to military instructors mingle freely with junior military personnel. This acts as a cocoon for initiation and re-initiation of non-smokers to smokers.
* Advertising
1 Holiday Post Cards
The prevalence of smoking is higher in the military as compared to other department of defense in the U.S. The promotional methods that are used by the tobacco manufacturing industries are distinctive. Methods such as brand developments, in-store merchandising of tobacco and sponsorships were some of the methods that are used with the aim of getting the military as their ready markets. Philip Morris in 1990 embarked on a program of "voice card" as a means of advertising of the Marlboro cigarettes. It’s designed in such a way that it gets a nationwide coverage through Newsweek magazine and the USA today. These messages are communicated via the newspapers in the military base to soldiers based in Saudi Arabia. This advertisement offers a voice message of 10 seconds to the family members of the soldiers through a computer –chip recorded put into the Marlboro holiday greeting card.
2 Discounted tobacco products at exchange
The difference in structure of prices of stores in the military camps consists of exchanges and commissaries which includes the markup limits of wholesale prices and exemptions from local and state taxes has encouraged the selling of these discounted sell of cigarettes in the military.
3 Deployed soldiers
Deployed soldiers consist of military men and women leaving their homes and families together with other soldiers like the sailors, marines and the airmen and leave for other countries. Deployment is also a major factor that has led to increased use of tobacco in the military. The initiation of the deployed staff into smoking is at 2.3%. The army environment is characterized with tobacco users who are intense. In the period of pre-deployment to the active deployment stage1 in out of 6 Airmen gets into harm escalation or engages them into use of tobacco.
* Attempted policies and control measures
1 No smoking in uniform or on base
In military workplaces, smoking is prohibited. This has been in force for the last 20 years. The military men believe that smoking is an unprofessional practice while on duty or at work stations. Therefore, they perceive that one should act as a professional while at work stations by not smoking. In the Air force medical campuses smoking is not allowed in the military vehicles especially if there is a child who is below 14 years. This rule also restricts the use of tobacco for the students in uniform who are graduand in medical educational programs, accession and in technical training. There are more restrictions that have been imposed in the dormitories that ban smoking in the base housing, common outdoor areas, porches and balconies. Soldiers are not allowed to smoke while in uniform as ...