The health and economic costs of tobacco use in military and veteran populations are high. In the short term, tobacco use impairs military readiness by reducing physical fitness, impairing visual acuity, and contributing to hearing loss. Over the long term, it causes serious health problems and contributes to numerous other health problems. In 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) requested that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) make recommendations on how to reduce tobacco initiation and encourage cessation in both military and veteran populations.
In its 2009 report Combating Tobacco in Military and Veteran Populations, the authoring committee concludes that to prevent tobacco initiation and encourage cessation, both DoD and VA should implement comprehensive tobacco-control programs. They should also provide appropriate therapeutic and communication interventions, include surveillance mechanisms, and require regular evaluation of the programs’ effectiveness with feedback and management capability to effect change. Both departments already have some of these components; however, given the critical need for a strong and healthy military, the harmful effects of tobacco use on military readiness, and the short- and long-term health and financial burden of tobacco use on military personnel, retirees, families, and veterans, the time has come for DoD and VA to assign high priority to tobacco control.