Unintended Consequences: Parents can't send smokes to troops overseas...

[Bill Mattocks]

Seems a shame. You can die for your country, but your parents can't mail you a carton of cigarettes.

http://www.military.com/news/article/law-blocks-mailing-smokes-to-war-zones.html?ESRC=topstories.RSS

Law Blocks Mailing Smokes to War Zones


August 10, 2010
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Family and friends have suddenly found themselves blocked from shipping cigarettes and other tobacco products to American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq because of a new law meant to hamper smuggling and underage sales through the mail.
The Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009 quietly took effect June 29. It cut off those care packages by effectively requiring that tobacco be sent with one particular kind of U.S. Postal Service shipping that requires a signature for delivery but does not deliver to most overseas military addresses.

 

[crushing]

It is a shame. Kind of ironic too, considering some of those same soldiers are put in harm's way to guard the poppy crop in Afghanistan for harvest and distribution. Well, at least heroin prices are down and the product is more pure.

 

[MBuzzy]

I dunno, with the health consequences that smoking causes and the impacts that it has on physical fitness, I see no problems with banning smoking completely in the AOR. No skin off of my back. I hound my troops CONSTANTLY to stop smoking. We've come a long way. I have one crusty old civilian that remembers when you could smoke in the office. Now you have to smoke at a designated area 50 ft from the building - there has even been talk of banning smoking on base completely.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I dunno, with the health consequences that smoking causes and the impacts that it has on physical fitness, I see no problems with banning smoking completely in the AOR. No skin off of my back. I hound my troops CONSTANTLY to stop smoking. We've come a long way. I have one crusty old civilian that remembers when you could smoke in the office. Now you have to smoke at a designated area 50 ft from the building - there has even been talk of banning smoking on base completely.

Sounds like Efing Disney Land. LOL
Sean

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I dunno, with the health consequences that smoking causes and the impacts that it has on physical fitness, I see no problems with banning smoking completely in the AOR.

Getting shot or blown up has some health consequences and also impacts physical fitness, eh? Why not ban that? If they're in a war zone, I don't much care if they inject caffeine and nicotine directly into their eyeballs. Just stay awake and alert, keep your weapon ready.

The only issue I ever had with smokers when I was in the Corps were those who could not restrain themselves from lighting up when in ambuscade. On our side of the wire, don't care if they smoke ten packs a day.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Getting shot or blown up has some health consequences and also impacts physical fitness, eh? Why not ban that? If they're in a war zone, I don't much care if they inject caffeine and nicotine directly into their eyeballs. Just stay awake and alert, keep your weapon ready.

The only issue I ever had with smokers when I was in the Corps were those who could not restrain themselves from lighting up when in ambuscade. On our side of the wire, don't care if they smoke ten packs a day.

I do think its important that high speed projectile absorbsion teams not get themselves killed over the enemy smelling the smoke, but can we send them nic-gum?
sean

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I do think its important that high speed projectile absorbsion teams not get themselves killed over the enemy smelling the smoke, but can we send them nic-gum?
sean

When you live in the field, you can't smell the smoke on people's clothes. If they smoke openly while outside the wire, then yes, but if they're not actively smoking, no can smell. That's for people who take showers and live in the world. Once you've been in the field for 30 days or more, you can't smell most kinds of funk.

When I was a smoker, I tried nicotine gum. It's like a bad joke. Only a non-smoker would think it would suffice to end the craving. It actually does taste like an ashtray.

 

[Ken Morgan]

It wasn't that long ago the military supplied smokes free, along with everything else. I'd be surprised if they couldn't get smokes at the military stores, where ever they are.
Its funny, you can join the military and be to young to vote, drink or smoke, but old enough to kill or be killed in a fire fight. Hell each of these kids can call in artillary or an airstrike, the cost of a round or a missle is into the may of thousands of $$.
I disagree with smoking, but if you're going to take the responsibility on of fighting for your country, for gods sakes, a smoke should be the least offensive of ones guilty pleasures.

 

[d1jinx]

I always thought it was a bit silly that an 18 year old can go fight and die for his country but couldn't legally drink either.

Sure drinking shouldn't be for everyone, but neither should driving and we give out Drivers License to everyone.... oops... did i say drink and drive?????

 

[Tez3]

Our troops have to be 18 to go into a combat zone and at 18 they can drink, drive, vote and whatever else young people do! they are encouraged not to smoke and can get free advice and nicotine patches from their med centre as well as free condoms, something which concerns the authorities far more as the squaddies will shag anything basically as long as it's got a pulse or at least is still warm.

 

[geezer]

Our troops have to be 18 to go into a combat zone and at 18 they can drink, drive, vote and whatever else young people do!

Can't fault your laws for lacking consistency. After Vietnam, there was a broad movement to lower the age for drinking to 18 here in the US. But the appalling number of deaths involving alcohol and young drivers led to raising the age for drinking back to 21 in all the states I'm aware of. Where I live, you can drive at 16, vote and buy smokes at 18, and buy alcohol at 21. Although granted the choice of our political candidates, I definitely think you should be able to drink before going to the polls.

...the squaddies will shag anything basically as long as it's got a pulse or at least is still warm.[/quote]

Hmmm... things stay warm a long time in Iraq and Afghanistan in the summer.

 

[Tez3]

Our troops have to be 18 to go into a combat zone and at 18 they can drink, drive, vote and whatever else young people do!

Can't fault your laws for lacking consistency. After Vietnam, there was a broad movement to lower the age for drinking to 18 here in the US. But the appalling number of deaths involving alcohol and young drivers led to raising the age for drinking back to 21 in all the states I'm aware of. Where I live, you can drive at 16, vote and buy smokes at 18, and buy alcohol at 21. Although granted the choice of our political candidates, I definitely think you should be able to drink before going to the polls.

...the squaddies will shag anything basically as long as it's got a pulse or at least is still warm.[/quote]

Hmmm... things stay warm a long time in Iraq and Afghanistan in the summer.

Oh yes!

I think it's hard to define just when a young person should be allowed to do 'adult stuff'. I do think though that if you are old enough to fight and die for your country you should also be old enough to vote at least. With that I would say too that you should be able to drink, to have sex and drive though I wouldn't suggest doing any of them at the same time.

 

[MBuzzy]

Our troops have to be 18 to go into a combat zone and at 18 they can drink, drive, vote and whatever else young people do! they are encouraged not to smoke and can get free advice and nicotine patches from their med centre as well as free condoms, something which concerns the authorities far more as the squaddies will shag anything basically as long as it's got a pulse or at least is still warm.

We do the exact same things....

They push pretty hard to not smoke and offer all of the resources possible.

 

[FieldDiscipline]

squaddies will shag anything basically as long as it's got a pulse or at least is still warm.

Must be getting picky these days. :shrug:

 

[MBuzzy]

Getting shot or blown up has some health consequences and also impacts physical fitness, eh? Why not ban that? If they're in a war zone, I don't much care if they inject caffeine and nicotine directly into their eyeballs. Just stay awake and alert, keep your weapon ready.

The only issue I ever had with smokers when I was in the Corps were those who could not restrain themselves from lighting up when in ambuscade. On our side of the wire, don't care if they smoke ten packs a day.

If you want to look it from a combat perspective, what about the guy who can't keep up because he is hacking from coughing? How about the people who can't pass a PT test because of smoking? Or medical costs associated with smoking - no secret that it has adverse consequences....

As an officer, my problem with it is that it is an addiction just like anything else. And if you're a smoker, you expect to be allowed to go take your 15 minute smoke break any time you want. There are guys that need a cigarette every hour or they start getting nasty and yelling at people. I don't need that in my shop. I've gotten plenty of complaints from non smokers because "He gets a 15 minute break to go smoke....I don't smoke and I don't get a break." How's that fair?

Worst of all - I've been on long convoys where you can't smoke, you can't piss, you can't STOP

I have a guy that can barely do his JOB because in his Chem gear for long periods of time, he gets too winded. It also impacts his PT and may end up getting him kicked out.

People love to throw around this crap about "If you can die for your country you can do ________" Sorry, but that's not a very good argument. Vietnam - that argument works. WWII, that works too. But now? The majority of our people ARE NOT in harm's way. Those who are, are most certainly at risk, but not in the shear numbers and levels as those of the past. People want to apply that argument to an admin troop that never deploys and it just doesn't work. Laws regarding ages to do things and right or wrong are mutually exclusive from your ability to be in the military. I have known PLENTY of 18 year old straight out of high school airmen, privates, seamen, and marines and VERY VERY VERY few of them were mature enough to drink. After some training, I'd trust them to do their job in the military (at that age and rank with a great deal of supervision)....but we have enough problems with drinking with the people who are OF age, let alone ones who don't have that extra 3 years of experience.

Sorry, but looking at it from a "rights" standpoint isn't the correct attack. When you join the military, we own you. That also means that we pay for you and are responsible for your health, well being, training, and ability to do your job. In my mind, someone NOT smoking INCREASES their ability to perform their mission and may keep them alive longer. That's my job.