Organizations Serving Military Members and Veterans
Know the Facts
Military personnel and their family members who smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products need support to quit. Studies indicate that military members are more likely to smoke cigarettes than civilians. Smoking is even more common for military members who have been deployed.
Smoking increases the risk for lung cancer, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, and many other diseases. Now is the time to promote smoking cessation to military members. You can help military members and veterans by showing them how smoking affects them and other groups in their communities. With the support of free federal materials, you can help more military members and veterans live tobacco-free lives!
Organizations that provide services to military members and their families may need to tailor their resources to help them quit smoking. Learn more about smoking cessation resources for military members and veterans at Smokefree.gov/veteransexternal icon, as well as the additional resources below.
Learn About Tips® Resources to Help Military Members Quit Smoking
Visit the How to Quit Smoking page, which features a Quit Guide.
Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to speak with a trained cessation coach who can answer questions, help smokers develop a quit plan, and provide support throughout the quit journey.
Active duty military members, veterans, and their families can access cessation counseling, cessation medicines, quitlines, and other services through their TRICARE coverage and Department of Defense programs.
Department of Defense-sponsored Websites
The following resources offer free help for those of you who are on active duty or who are retired:
- Tricare:
- Tobacco Cessationexternal icon
TRICARE is dedicated to helping users quit tobacco and live a healthier life!
- Tobacco Cessationexternal icon
- Quit Tobacco—YouCanQuit2external icon, which includes information about:
- Text message cessation support:
SmokefreeMILexternal icon (Text MIL to 47848) - (Please note that the Live Chat is anonymous and will pop up after about 30 seconds. This is available to TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries.)
- Text message cessation support:
- Army Public Health Center:
- Tobacco-Free Living Toolkitexternal icon
Tobacco-free living benefits soldiers by giving them an opportunity to maintain a healthier lifestyle, decrease the health risks associated with tobacco use, and make them better able to perform their mission.
- Tobacco-Free Living Toolkitexternal icon
- Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center:
- Tobacco Free Livingexternal icon
The Health Promotion and Wellness department offers effective cessation resources to help tobacco users learn about the harmful effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure and to win the battle against tobacco use.
- Tobacco Free Livingexternal icon
- Air Force Health.mil:
- Tobacco-free Livingexternal icon
For information on the health risks of tobacco use and resources on how to stop using it or avoid starting, please visit our related links.
- Tobacco-free Livingexternal icon
- Coast Guard:
- Coast Guard Academy
- Coast Guard Tobacco Cessation Programexternal icon
Within the Coast Guard, tobacco slows operational readiness by decreasing lung capacity and impairing an individual’s ability to maintain an enhanced level of performance.
- Coast Guard Tobacco Cessation Programexternal icon
- Coast Guard Academy
Read About Military Members and Veterans Who Quit Smoking
Learn the real stories of military service members and veterans featured in the Tips campaign who are suffering from smoking-related diseases and disabilities. Encourage members of your community to start a conversation about their stories and encourage them to quit smoking for good.
Meet Brian. Brian, age 63, lives in Texas. An Air Force veteran, Brian had his first heart attack at age 35 while he was stationed in England. He quit smoking in 2009 and received a heart transplant in July 2012. While Brian remained smokefree, the damage caused by years of smoking continued to affect his body. In January 2017, Brian was diagnosed with lung cancer and had part of his lung removed.
Meet James. James, age 48, lives in New York and began smoking at age 14. He quit smoking in 2010 to reduce his risk for health problems and now bikes 10 miles every day.
Meet Mark. Mark, age 47, lives in California and started smoking as a teenager. He continued smoking during military service in the Persian Gulf and in civilian life until he developed rectal cancer at age 42.
Meet Michael. Michael, age 57, lives in Alaska and began smoking at age 9. At 44, he was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which makes it harder and harder to breathe and can cause death.
Meet Nathan. Nathan lived in Idaho. A member of the Oglala Sioux tribe, he was exposed to secondhand smoke at work that caused permanent lung damage and triggered asthma attacks so severe he had to leave his job. His illness led to his death in October 2013. He was 54.
Meet Roosevelt. Roosevelt, age 51, lives in Virginia and began smoking in his teens. At age 45, he had a heart attack. Doctors later placed stents in his heart and performed six bypasses.
