In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, a crew member patrols on the USS Charlotte, a nuclear powered attack submarine, at the Yokosuka Naval Base, south of Tokyo. As of January all submarines in the U.S. Navy are officially smoke free, and it’s been a tense transition. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)YOKOSUKA, Japan – As if life on a submarine wasn’t already stressful enough, with its cramped quarters, long work hours and weeks at sea, thousands of smokers on the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet recently got an unwelcome ultimatum from Uncle Sam.
As of last month, all submarines in the U.S. Navy are officially smoke free – and it’s been a tense transition.
For some officers and sailors, the new policy aiming to reduce secondhand smoke risk has been that extra push they needed to make the decision to quit. But for many more, it means a little more effort at irritation management and a lot more stocking up on nicotine patches, chewing tobacco and snuff before heading out to sea.
During a recent port call in Japan by the nuclear-powered USS Charlotte attack submarine, Petty Officer Luke Riblet said his first extended smokeless assignment at sea has been rough.
“You can feel it. It’s like a pull at your chest,” the 26-year-old from Cocoa Beach, Florida, told The Associated Press. “You get irritated a lot easier. It was nice to have a smoke and wind down. This lifestyle can be pretty stressful.”