[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 96 (Wednesday, July 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S7127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        TOBACCO IN THE MILITARY

 Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, yesterday the Senate adopted an 
amendment to require the Pentagon to study the effectiveness of the 
military's programs aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles among members 
of the Armed Forces. By March 30 of next year, the Secretary of Defense 
must submit a report which outlines programs aimed at preventing 
tobacco and alcohol dependence, in terms of education, rehabilitation, 
and intervention. I commend the Senator from New Mexico for his 
leadership on this issue. As a cosponsor to this amendment, I am glad 
that my colleagues view the health of our military personnel an 
important factor when considering our Nation's security.
  Over the past year, the Pentagon has taken important steps to reduce 
tobacco use among its personnel. Despite strong opposition from the 
tobacco industry and its friends in the Congress, policies to remove 
subsidies from tobacco products sold through military commissaries have 
been implemented. Further regulations on tobacco advertising and 
product placement are due to take effect in the future. These are 
positive steps that have been long overdue.
  The need to attack tobacco addiction in the military was crystallized 
in a report by the Inspector General of the Department of Defense last 
December. The DOD IG's analysis concluded that between health care and 
lost productivity attributed to tobacco use, tobacco addiction costs 
the Defense Department, and American taxpayers, about $930 million a 
year. Roughly $453 million of this is in hospitalization costs alone. 
In this Senator's view, that's $930 million too much.
  The need to address this issue head-on couldn't be clearer. Tobacco 
use among military personnel has continued at higher levels than that 
of the civilian population. Nearly 36 percent of civilian males aged 18 
to 25 smoke cigarettes. However, for the same age group in the Army, 41 
percent smoke tobacco products as do 39 percent in the Navy and 44.7 
percent in the Marine Corps. In light of the fact that the health of 
our troops, and all members of our military, should be of the utmost 
importance, this disparity is shameful.
  I commend those in the Pentagon who have begun to seriously address 
the problem of tobacco sales and addiction in the military. They are 
doing a great service for military personnel by removing subsidies from 
cigarettes sold in commissaries in an effort to protect their health. 
They are taking the bold step of evaluating ways to discourage use, an 
effort which is clearly at odds with the low prices of tobacco products 
sold on military bases compared to prices in retail outfits in the rest 
of the country. While I agree that for their service, members of the 
military should get certain benefits, a line should be drawn at an 
addictive and destructive product such as tobacco.
  Mr. President, I hope that when this Congress receives the report 
from the Secretary of Defense, as directed by this amendment, it will 
include bold proposals aimed at curbing addiction. Our fighting forces 
need to be the best prepared and the healthiest in the world.

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