Ariyah DeSouza, Associate Recruitment Marketing Manager:

Today, President Obama declared May 6 Military Spouse Appreciation Day in honor of the spouses and family members of servicemen. The good news doesn't end there for military families: Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, has announced his organization is a partner in Joining Forces, the White House initiative helping to improve the health of active-duty personnel, their families, and veterans.

Myers commends the president, vice president, and their wives “for their extraordinary effort in putting together a broad coalition to honor the service of our military personnel as well as the sacrifices they and their families make.” Employment, education and wellness comprise the initiative’s areas of focus. Within the wellness area, the initiative takes action around tobacco cessation and prevention– both critical to curbing tobacco-related disease and death.

The Joining Forces initiative unites the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids with the American Cancer Society and other organizations to reach more than 800,000 people in military communities. Along with living longer and feeling better, service members can improve their physical fitness and endurance when they quit tobacco. Those who currently use tobacco, says Myers, are “more likely to drop out of basic training, sustain injuries and have poor vision, all of which compromise readiness.”

Reducing tobacco use among military communities will also shrink the financial burden on the military and veterans' health care systems. In 2006, the Military Health System spent almost $564 million in tobacco-related health care costs. And in 2008, the Veterans Administration spent $5 billion to treat smoking-related emphysema. But cigarettes aren’t the only enemy. Nearly one in five servicemen ages 18 to 24 uses smokeless tobacco today.

What will the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids do as part of the White House initiative? For starters:

• Host Kick Butts Day, a national day of youth activism against tobacco, on military bases and in civilian communities with large numbers of military families. Kick Butts Day teaches youth the health risks of tobacco, empowers them to educate others, and gives them tools to actively advance the anti-tobacco movement.
• Drive the Youth Advocate of the Year Award and scholarship for outstanding children of military personnel who show leadership in fighting tobacco in their communities and states.
• Select Tobacco-Free Youth Ambassadors from military families, who will receive training and technical assistance in learning how to advocate for community members’ health.

I’m excited to see this initiative grow feet, particularly because of its investments in preventing people from taking up tobacco in the first place. Most smokers start during adolescence or early adulthood. Representing risk and rebellion, tobacco can entice youth who are convinced they’ll live forever. Many Americans are hoping to protect and strengthen military families and their health, just as they do us.

Learn more about the White House’s mobilization of all sectors of society to give military communities the support and opportunities they deserve on the Joining Forces website.

You can learn more about tobacco use and military communities here