• Muhamad Arham Bin Hashim, Ikmal Hisham Bin Ismail, and Budi Aslinie Binti Md Sabri.
• Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh, Selangor Darul Ehsan 47000, Malaysia.
• Mil Med. 2023 Nov 3; 188 (11-12): e3386e3392e3386-e3392.

IntroductionTobacco kills half of its users. Despite this, there are over 1.1 billion smokers worldwide. Its harmful effects impair performance and readiness. Unfortunately, smoking has deeply ingrained in the military culture, as evidenced by the high prevalence. Hence, this study aims to identify the barriers to smoking cessation among this population.MethodsA study involving two groups of current smokers (commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers) was conducted using the modified nominal group technique (mNGT), a qualitative research method of judgmental decision-making involving four phases: Generating ideas, recording, evaluation, and prioritization. The mNGT was used to solicit respondents' barriers to smoking cessation.ResultsThe mNGT yielded seven main barriers to smoking cessation: (1) Addiction, (2) difficulty in staying focused without the usage of cigarettes, (3) smoking has been incorporated into an individual's lifestyle, (4) environmental influence, (5) coping mechanism, (6) the long-interval period between orders and duties exacerbates the desire to smoke, and (7) smoking has evolved into a permanent habit. Although nicotine addiction and habit were ranked as the most important barriers, the military working environment and nature of the job exposed them physically and mentally to unfavorable situations, complicating the quitting attempt. Furthermore, the acceptance of smoking in military culture leads to a positive smoker identity, further hindering cessation.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that in addition to barriers affecting the general population, military-specific barriers related to the nature of the job exist, complicating cessation. Hence, any intervention program should address these barriers to achieve positive outcomes.© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2023. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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