Cigarette smoking and respiratory ill-health in the British army.

The smoking habits and morbidity experiences of a cohort of soldiers have been studied from 1959 to 1969. In 1959 the cohort contained 4052 junior entrants to the Army, aged 15-18; in 1969 there remained 1412 men, by then aged 25-28. Between 1964 and 1969 there has been a slight but significant decrease in the prevalence of smoking, but amongst the smokers there has been little change in the number of cigarettes smoked. The cohort's 1969 prevalence of smoking was slightly above the national average of 70% for males of the same age, but the servicemen are heavier smokers than their civilian counterparts. Comparison of the morbidity experience for respiratory conditions in terms of inpatient admissions over 10 years reveals a significant excess for smokers of twenty or more cigarettes a day when compared with non-smokers. The difference between the two categories represents an estimated 130 days of inpatient care per 1000 men per year.