Smokeless Tobacco in Military Communities

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Smokeless Tobacco in Military Communities

• 5th National Summit on Smokeless Spit Tobacco
• 22 September 2009
• Madison, Wisconsin

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What We Will Discuss

• Project UNIFORM OpCollaboration
• Quick Vocabulary
• Rates of use in military communities
• Smokeless Military Realities
• Military Cultural Influences
• Industry Targeting
• Emerging products
• Project UNIFORM OpCollaboration Efforts
• Project UNIFORM OpCollaboration Messaging

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Who We Are

• OpCollaboration
• Funded by American Legacy Foundation
• Collaborates with states throughout the nation to
  build military-civilian partnerships to address
  tobacco use in military communities
• Provides technical assistance
• Creates state-specific/installation-specific
  materials
• Provides training for quit line staff,
  counselors, and providers
• Joins with non-traditional partners to address
  service member tobacco use in innovative ways
• More!

• Project UNIFORM
• Undoing Nicotine Influence From Our Respected
  Military
• Funded by Prop 99 in California
• Collaborates with California-based orgs
• Provides culturally appropriate cessation
  information and training to existing military
  cessation programs on California military
  installations
• Collaborates with military support networks to
  promote cessation services
• Educates tobacco control professionals to the
  culture and existing services within the Armed
  Forces of the United States

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Quick Vocabulary

• Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine
• Branch of Service, Services
• Military Communities
• DoD
• CO
• Deployment
• Chain of Command

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Smokeless Tobacco Prevalence
2005 Department of Defense Survey of Health
Related Behaviors Among Active Duty Military
Personnel (http//www.ha.osd.mil/special_reports/2
005_Health_Behaviors_Survey_1-07.pdf)
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• Biggest increase among 18-24 year-old males
• Marines have the highest prevalence of use
  (22.3)
• Airmen have the lowest prevalence of use (9.2)
• Soldiers and Marines have higher rates of
  smokeless tobacco initiation after joining the
  military
• Males aged 18 to 25 (22.9 in the Army, 22.0 in
  the Marine Corps)

2005 Department of Defense Survey of Health
Related Behaviors Among Active Duty Military
Personnel (http//www.ha.osd.mil/special_reports/2
005_Health_Behaviors_Survey_1-07.pdf)
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Smokeless Military Realities

• Tool to meet demands of military life.
• Used in combat situations, deployments.
• Used with other tobacco.
• Perceived as a part of being in the military.
• Used in places with smoking policies.
• Used by female service members.
• Self-medicating with mental health issues.

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Military Cultural Influences

• Depends greatly on the branch, age, and rank.
• Perception that asking for help is a sign of
  weakness. (Pain is weakness leaving the body)
• Belief that service member is strong enough to
  do it alone. (Army of one) (Army Strong)
• Negative CO attention.
• Understanding that will go on permanent record.
• Weight regulations.
• Stress daily life, pre, post-deployment.

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Industry Targeting
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Emerging Products in Military Communities
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www.mudjug.com
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Snus
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Dissolvable
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Snuff
F.U.B.A.R - Grunt The strongest snuff in the
USA. This is not a civilian snuff. It is strong,
dry and if you don't have exquisite pressure
control, it WILL blow your head off. You will be
FUBAR, plain and simple. But hey, no pain no gain
soldier.
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Energy Dip

• What is Revved Up Energy Dip?Revved Up is Dip
  Energy.  It is a Long Cut premium tobacco blend
  that provides hours of alertness and focus
  without the crash or jitters usually associated
  with energy drinks.  It contains a blend of B
  C-Vitamins, Caffeine, Ginseng, and Taurine. There
  are no added sugars, and the tobacco blend used
  contains 65 less carcinogens than found in dark
  fire cured tobaccos.
• How is Revved Up Energy Dip different from other
  dips? Revved Up energy dip is the only smokeless
  tobacco product that contains energy enhancing
  supplements.

• Has Revved Up Energy Dip been approved by the
  FDA?The FDA does not currently regulate
  smokeless tobacco products
• How many times a day can I use Revved Up Energy
  Dip?We recommend that no one consume more than
  two cans of Revved Up energy dip per day
• What does Revved Up contain?Revved Up energy dip
  contains premium smokeless tobacco, and a
  proprietary blend of Caffeine, Taurine, Ginseng
  and B C vitamins that are formulated to
  function specifically when combined with
  smokeless tobacco.

• Who are Revved Up Energy Dip consumers?Service
  Members Revved Up energy dip was designed by
  active duty Marines. Our military service members
  are expected to deliver their best under the most
  difficult circumstances.  Revved Up energy dip
  provides a discreet way to enhance their
  alertness and focus levels while on long convoys
  and posts, or in combat.
• Civil servants- EMTs, Firefighters, and Police
  OfficersMorning Not a morning person? Revved Up
  energy dip will get you going and keep you going
  for hoursWorkouts developed for the needs of
  active and athletic smokeless tobacco
  usersSports a convenient, discreet way to
  enjoy smokeless tobacco and achieve increased
  energy levelTravel Whether youre driving a
  load cross country, or piloting the red eye

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Project UNIFORM OpCollaboration Efforts

• Civilian organizations, states, systems
• Collaborate with local organizations to be
  inclusive
• Civilian and national conferences
• College health center trainings
• Installation-specific
• Fax-referral systems protocols
• Multi-day trainings for people on installations
• Nontraditional partner trainings
• New product trainings
• Tobacco briefings for service members
• Military community events
• Ads in local and base papers

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Project UNIFORM OpCollaboration Efforts

• Tobacco Quit Lines
• Annual CA Helpline Counselor Trainings
• National helpline training
• Branch specific cards
• Create products
• Serving Those Who Serve
• Fact sheets
• Website
• Social media
• Website www.projectuniform.org
• Materials http//www.tobaccofreecatalog.org/

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Project UNIFORM OpCollaboration Messaging

• Readiness.
• Compromising mission (trail).
• Positive influence to others (community, family
  and children).
• Affects service and opportunities for
  advancement.
• Impotence (especially with Marines).
• Humor.

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YES!! Tobacco DOES affect performance and
readiness!

• Decreased night vision
• Decreased mental acuity
• Decreased ability to deal with stress
• Decreased fine motor skills
• Decreased stamina
• Increased need for water
• Decreased lung capacity
• Decreased wound healing ability
• Increased injuries
• Linked to PTSD Combat Stress

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www.ucanquit2.org
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www.ucanquit2.org
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http//www.tobaccofreecatalog.org/
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(No Transcript)
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Questions?
Rocky, an official mascot in Okinawa, Japan.
From the Marine Corps Times
Colleen Haydon, MSW, MPH p 916-339-3424 ext.
26 email colleen_at_projectuniform.org www.projectun
iform.org