title: Cigarette prices in military retail: a review and proposal for advancing military health policy.
abstract: Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and has been shown to significantly harm the combat readiness of military personnel. Unfortunately, recent research showed that cigarettes are sold at substantial discounts in military retail outlets. In fact, the military is the only retailer that consistently loses money on tobacco. Cheap tobacco prices have been identified by enlisted personnel and Department of Defense health policy experts as promoting a culture of tobacco use in the U.S. Military. This article provides an analysis of why current military tobacco pricing policy has failed to eliminate cheap tobacco prices as an incentive for use. A rationale for increasing tobacco prices also is presented along with recommendations for improved military tobacco control policy.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biobehavioral Health Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 1920 West 143rd Street, Suite No. 120, Leawood, KS 66224, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Haddock
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jahnke
authors.forename: Walker S C
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Poston
authors.forename: Larry N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics*; D019460:Tobacco Industry / Q000191:economics*; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000191:economics*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States