A content analysis of tobacco control policy in the US Department of Defense

• Published in: Journal of public health policy 2011-08, Vol.32 (3), p.334-349
• Main Authors: Hoffman, Kevin M., Poston, Walker S.C., Jitnarin, Nattinee, Jahnke, Sara A., Hughey, Joseph, Lando, Harry A., Williams, Larry N., Haddock, Keith
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Armed Forces; Armies; Cessation; Cigarette smoking; Content Analysis; Costs; Defense policy; Equality and Human Rights; Health care policy; Health Policy; Health Promotion - organization & administration; Human subjects; Humans; Industry; Medical research; Medical Sociology; Military; Military defense; Military Personnel - legislation & jurisprudence; Military readiness; Military Service; Navies; Navy; Original Article; Passive smoking; Prevalence; Public Health; Publishing industry; Readiness; Secondhand smoke; Services; Smoking; Smoking - epidemiology; Smoking - legislation & jurisprudence; Smoking cessation; Smoking Cessation - methods; Social Justice; Social Policy; Social Sciences; Sociology; Statistics; Tobacco; Tobacco industry; Tobacco Industry - legislation & jurisprudence; Tobacco policy; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - legislation & jurisprudence; Tobacco use; Tobacco, Smokeless; United States; United States Air force; United States Defense department; United States Department of Defense - legislation & jurisprudence; United States of America
• ISSN: 0197-5897; 1745-655X; 1745-655X
• DOI: 10.1057/jphp.2011.6

We conducted a content analysis of the US military tobacco policies at the Department of Defense, each respective military service (Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps), and their Major Commands (MAJCOM). Ninety-seven policies were evaluated using the Military Tobacco Policy Rating Form (MTPRF). More than three quarters addressed the following domains: (1) deleterious health effects of tobacco use; (2) environmental tobacco smoke; (3) designation of smoking areas; (4) tobacco prevention/cessation programs; and (5) smokeless tobacco. Few policies (2.1 per cent) mentioned relevant Department of Defense and respective service tobacco use prevalence statistics. Smoking as non-normative or incompatible with military service, the impact of tobacco use on military readiness, and the tobacco industry were addressed infrequently (6.2 per cent, 33.0 per cent, and 8.2 per cent, respectively). Future military tobacco policies should address important omissions of critical information such as the current service tobacco use prevalence, effects on readiness, and smoking as non-normative.