The Department of Defense, Health Affairs, announced a video competition that aims to target tobacco as an enemy of the military that degrades service members' health, fitness, and mission readiness.
Article continues below
The competition Fight the Enemy will run until October 15 and is open to all uniformed DOD personnel, families and DOD civilians, who may submit their best video entry with winners being announced in mid-November.
"If you don't believe tobacco impairs mission readiness, I encourage you to read the IOM report," said Col. (Dr.) John Oh, the chief of health promotion at the Air Force Medical Support Agency, referencing the 2009 Institute of Medicine report "Combating Tobacco Use in Military and Veteran Populations."
DOD officials estimate that tobacco use costs $1.6 billion annually in medical costs and decreases work productivity, a preventable expense the DOD can ill afford in the current austere fiscal climate, Oh said, writes af.mil.
Based on DOD survey data, 17 percent of Airmen smoke cigarettes, a figure slightly less than the national average. Nine percent use smokeless tobacco, a number well above the 2 percent national average.
"We need to change how tobacco is perceived by Airmen and call it out as the enemy that it is, with adverse impact on health, mission performance, and the economic sustainability of our warfighting capabilities," Oh said.
A humorous promotional video, contest rules, and additional information can be found at this link. Winners will be announced in conjunction with the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout. The first prize winner's video will be featured on the Fight the Enemy website. Winners will receive official recognition and thanks from DOD senior leaders, and all entrants will receive a gift of appreciation. ■
On Monday, an upper-level low over parts of the Great Basin will slowly weaken and move eastward to the Northern Plains and Central/Southern Rockies by Wednesday.