Relapse to smoking after basic military training in the US Air Force

This study examined predictors of smoking relapse in the year after the man datory smoking ban during basic military training (BMT) in the U.S. Air For ce. Participants were all smokers who completed BMT from August 1995 to Aug ust 1996 and relapsed to smoking in the subsequent year (N = 4,303), Result s demonstrated that the vast majority of airmen (69.8%) returned to smoking within 1 month after BMT and that most (90%) were still in training status when they smoked their first cigarette after BMT. Relapsed smokers appeare d more motivated to quit smoking at 1-year follow-up compared with when the y were in BMT, Individuals making serious quit attempts after BMT were youn ger and had greater levels of physical activity, more confidence in quittin g, and more favorable perceptions of the BMT ban than individuals not attem pting to quit. Based on these findings, recommendations are discussed for i mproving abstinence rates after BMT.