# Armor be damned!  What are troops really need are cigarettes!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armor-be-damned-what-are-troops-really-need-are-cigarettes/279291>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [December 11, 2004, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armor-be-damned-what-are-troops-really-need-are-cigarettes/279291 "2004-12-11T09:25:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armor-be-damned-what-are-troops-really-need-are-cigarettes/279291/21 "2004-12-12T14:33:09Z")

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My brother is a casual smoker, except when he’s on active duty or working in a hot zone. Then he’s a full-on smoker.

Cigarettes do other things beside stave off a nic fit. They can help curb hunger, help you stay awake, etc.

I can and do send cigarettes to my brother wherever he is, currently it’s Iraq. Mostly it’s because he can’t get his brand over there (American Spirit). I send him other stuff he can’t get over there too- like Girl Scout cookies.

If you don’t want to support a bad habit, then don’t. But don’t rail against people who are sending those guys _exactly what they want_.

I did say bad habit- I am a former smoker who had a terrible time quitting. But just because I no longer choose to do it doesn’t mean I should force my choice on anybody else.

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