Tobacco companies have a long history of using patriotism and military pride to sell addiction. From free samples on base to camouflage-branded ads, the industry has spent decades exploiting service members for profit.

 This isn’t respect. It’s a marketing strategy.

“At the last military promotion alone, we were able to distribute over 20,000 Newport samples among a high concentration of targeted Newport smokers; a most captive audience.”

– Newport Camp Pendleton Military Promotion internal memo

A “Captive Audience”

Internal industry documents called troops a “captive audience.”¹ In the 1980s and 90s, tobacco companies²:

• Sponsored thousands of military events, fairs and festivals
• Handed out free cigarettes to troops
• Focused promotions on enclosed environments like barracks and bases

Appropriation of Military Pride

To appeal to service members and veterans, tobacco companies leaned into military culture. They used symbols like:

• Flags
• Unit patches
• Camouflage
• Words like “brotherhood,” “honor” and “tradition”

Some veterans still feel connected to certain tobacco brands because of this messaging. Veterans continue to smoke at higher rates than civilians, largely due to these targeted marketing ploys.³

The Cold, Hard Truth

Source: America’s Health Rankings

Veterans Deserve the Truth

Big Tobacco continues to profit off military communities while pretending to support them. It’s time to push back on these false narratives and replace them with real support.