"Submariners, or "bubbleheads," are also facing another change during their long missions under sea, as the navy has ordered a ban on smoking below deck by the end of the year.
An estimated 30 to 40 percent of crew members smoke, but officials say their second-hand smoke poses a threat to the health of their comrades."
I just read an article and quoted this.. is it true?
Also, it states by the end of the year. Has anyone experienced the smoking ban already? Will COs be able to override at their discretion.
Seems ridiculous to ban smoking when 80+ years of smoking on submarines has produced little evidence to the contrary. Don't smokers have the right to smoke? It's not like they can step 30 feet outside of the sub to the smoke-pad to smoke before watch.
It seems like the better alternative would be to install better air filtration equipment to purify not only cigarette smoke, but diesel fumes, oil haze, and everything else that could be 'hazardous' onboard subs.