Chapter 26 Tobacco and the military

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Tobacco and the military: Prevalence Data

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In 1992, 17.4% of military personnel used smokeless tobacco, including 36% of

Marines, figures unchanged from 1988. Use in Marine Corps males under age 25

was nearly half, or 47.4%.

1992 Worldwide Survey, p 6-11

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One of the Healthy People 2000 objectives was to reduce the prevalence of current

cigarette smoking to no more than 20% of military personnel. The 1995 DOD survey

released in February 1996 showed a decline in overall smoking prevalence in the

military to 31.9% from 35.0% in the previous 1992 survey. This included 34.9% for the

Navy, 35.0% for the Marine Corps, 34.0% for the Army, and 25.1% in the Air Force.

The lower Air Force prevalence was attributable to the fact that Air Force personnel

were more likely to be older, better educated, and married. The data were extremely

discouraging for younger military personnel; of those age 20 or younger, 40.8%

smoked, despite universal prohibition during recruit training, and the same

percentage, 40.8%, of those in pay grades E1 to E3 were smokers. This group was

almost six times more likely to smoke than officers O4 and above (7.1%).

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In the 1995 DOD survey, males were significantly more likely than females to be

current smokers (32.7% vs. 26.3%). Young women in the Marines, however, had a

35.4% smoking prevalence. Whites (34.4%) were more likely than blacks (23.4%) to

be smokers, and those with a high school education only were much more likely to

smoke (41.0%) than personnel with a college degree or higher (11.5%).

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In the 1995 DOD survey of the US military, overall the prevalence of cigar or pipe use

was 18.7%, ranging from 12.8% in the Air Force to 28.4% in the Marine Corps.

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