Why Can't the Pentagon Stop Smoking?
Because Congress wants the military to keep selling tobacco
This article is for subscribers only.
Even the most oblivious member of Congress knows that smoking is bad for you. As it turns out, it’s even worse for you if you happen to be a soldier. So why would Congress insist that the Pentagon sell cigarettes—at a discount, no less?
The rationale has long been that members of the military have to smoke because their jobs are so stressful. There’s no denying the stress of military service, or that troops who smoke experience more of it than their comrades who don’t. (That may stem less from their work than from nicotine addiction.)