The image of the hard-bitten soldier grabbing a post-battle smoke may be a cliche, but it's one that the U.S. Army hopes to change.
To that end, the Texas Medical Center reports that one of its researchers has been awarded $3.7 million grant by the Army to create an anti-smoking video game for military personnel. Alexander Prokhorov, M.D., Ph.D. describes his project:
The tobacco use rates in the Army are alarming – 38 percent of service members smoke cigarettes and 15 percent use smokeless tobacco... Wars boosted the use of tobacco. Research shows tobacco use in the military increased during World War II. We are going to provide ways to help soldiers kick this destructive addiction or resist it in the first place...
The video game-based education program is anything but boring. It provides a highly interactive, engaging and exciting experience.
When the demands of combat duty increase the soldier’s level of pressure and stress, smoking becomes more tempting to both the former smoker and the soldier who has never smoked. The prevention aspect of the game will address this.
Comments
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
One has to wonder why they don't just advise the use of Swedish snus or nasal snuff since those forms of tobacco use have no link to cancer at all but will give their soldiers their nicotine fix without damaging lungs. Well, snus has some slight imperical evidence suggesting an increase in the chance of developing pancreatic cancer, but it is still a very slight increase.
Of course when it comes to the official stance on tobacco with any goverment agency involved the opinion will pretty much always be 'Every form of tobacco is evil.'
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
Yeah; sure smoking will more than likely kill you but after many years. However war will kill you much faster. I wonder which is more harmful to a troopers health?
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Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
Obviously, the most harmful is the sedentary lifestyle caused by video games.
Duh.
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
Taxpayer money well spent?
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
Better than a lot of recent government expenditures.
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
Wierd...
"Right men, I want you all to go out and look out for snipers, watch where you tread, because there might be IED's under your feet. Oh, and Jenkins, put that cigarette out, they'll be the death of you..."
The whole concept of the army trying to give advice about avoiding potentially fatal activities is surreal...
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
"look out for snipers"
"Oh, and Jenkins, put that cigarette out, they'll be the death of you..."
Sound advice, especially if on the watch for snipers. At night a glowing cherry practically says "shoot here".
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
LOL Oddly enough, that's kind of a point...
Let's just say that, as a solider, I'd be far more concerned about what the lit smoke attracts from the outside than what it's doing to my inside, becuse whatevers outside can mess my internals up a lot faster.
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
To be fair, in the middle of the night, a lit smoke doesn't pass as "subtle" under sniper eyes.
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
What? That's exactly what he just said...
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
Why not just make a hilarious early 90's rap PSA? Much more memorable, and a fraction of the cost.
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
If anyone should be allowed a smoke, it's soldiers.
I'm all for providing them any resources they might need to help them quit if that's what they want to do, but I'd be a little pissed if the military tried to prohibit it.
Although, I could see the military taking the stance that they're trying to protect their investment. I can see how they'd want to have as few of their soldiers hacking up a lung during combat as possible. Hmmm...
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
At the very least, this isn't a prohibition. That'd be just silly. I agree- a soldier is one of the few people that deserves a cig after a tough day, provided that they know precisely what the repurcussions of that activity will be (and NOT bitch about it when it gives them lung cancer).
But as far as the army equipping a "Smoking can be bad for your health" stance, that's fine. That's like saying "Here, take a load off, have a smoke- just, remember that if you get out of here, you're gonna have a life after this, keep it clean."
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
Smokeing is a right, driveing a car a privlage they let any moron do, cars and zero thought PC nazis do more damage to sosicty(and people) than smokers do, so pelase hug a tree take a toke and bike to work!
I am a criminal because I purchase media,I am a criminal because I use media, I am a criminal because I chose to own media..We shall remain criminals until Corporate stay's outside our bedrooms..
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Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
i cant tell if your being serious or not..... are you drunk?
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
I am being zippy, if you haz to ask you needz to lurk more.
I am a criminal because I purchase media,I am a criminal because I use media, I am a criminal because I chose to own media..We shall remain criminals until Corporate stay's outside our bedrooms..
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
I think he asked because your post reads like a drunken ramble. It's even more incoherent and grammatically abusive than your usual crap.
"Life sucks, get a fuckin helmet" - Denis Leary
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
But all my crap is incoherent and grammatically abusive, its hard to tell whats worse half the time. :P
But let’s tear down my fools argument/comment, driving is a privilege because you have to pass mandatory hurdles for it, we let anyone practically drive anything on 4 wheels within a minim of standards that are so bad you can drive the worse polluting and gas guzzling vehicles every created, even allowed to drive vehicles that are known to be unsafe by today’s standards. And yet we as a society are going after smokers how put out less emission’s than the crap allowed on the road.
Now when it comes to close quarters inside a poorly ventilated area ya that’s when it can effect someone else but other than that no not so much, and because it somehow seems worse than the damage done by general pollution(which causes far more cancer), alcohol(and acetaminophen(which is used is to many OTC medications)…hello liver damage anyone?) and fast food/junk foods that compounds issues with sedentary life styles, somehow smoking becomes the great scapegoat of the 22 century…. So like I said take a toke and bike to work, the world would be a much better place ^_~.
I am a criminal because I purchase media,I am a criminal because I use media, I am a criminal because I chose to own media..We shall remain criminals until Corporate stay's outside our bedrooms..
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
They could just eliminate policies that give smokers breaks that non-smokers don't get.
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
And tomorrow, the anti-military groups will come out yelling that the military is using propeganda to teach kids to not smoke.
---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
Except that this game is made specifically for army personnel. It will probably be somewhat difficult to even get a hold of it outside the military.
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
No, it won't be that ,it'll be claims of a nefarious effort to use reverse psychology to get kids hooked on experimental super addictive cigs, then cut them off and say the only way to get more is to join the military.
Re: Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Army Develops ...
My mom works in a hospital. Know which group has the highest percentage of smokers?
The respiratory therapists. Yeah, go figure.
Andrew Eisen