The association of smoking and the cost of military training.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if premature discharge from the US Air Force was associated with the smoking status of recruits.


METHODS
A total of 29 044 US Air Force personnel recruited from August 1995 to August 1996 were administered baseline behavioural risk assessment surveys during basic military training. They were tracked over a 12 month period to determine those who were prematurely discharged.


METHODS
Excess training costs as a result of premature discharge.


RESULTS
In this 12 month period, 14.0% of those entering the US Air Force were discharged at a one year follow up. In both univariate and multivariate models, the best single predictor of early discharge was smoking status. Overall, 11.8% of non-smokers versus 19.4% of smokers were prematurely discharged (relative risk 1.795).


CONCLUSIONS
Using US Department of Defense data on the cost of military training, recruits who smoke in the US Air Force are associated with $18 million per year in excess training costs. Applied to all service branches, smoking status, which represents a constellation of underlying behaviours and attitudes that can contribute to early discharge, is associated with over $130 million per year in excess training costs.
Center for Community Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38119, USA. bklesges@memphis.edu
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D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel; D015995:Prevalence; D016730:Program Development / Q000191:economics*; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013663:Teaching / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology