A survey to determine the knowledge of military members about the hazards of tobacco use, and a resulting tobacco-hazard education project.

A questionnaire and an intraoral examination were administered to 340 U.S. Navy personnel in order to ascertain the use of tobacco and its effect within the oral cavity. The rate of tobacco use among these military personnel was about twice that of the general public. About 45% of the patients were not well informed of the systemic or intraoral hazard of tobacco usage. With a need for tobacco-hazard awareness documented, an educational project was designed and administered to over 4,000 military and civilian participants. This education program has now been expanded to train health care professionals so that they can perform their own tobacco-hazard education with patients and small groups.