VA and ANY tobacco use

[MikeDennison]

I know, I know, I shouldn't have but it was just too good to pass up.

[Wildcat]

The Canadian VA is no better. An ugly story making the rounds today.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news ... euthanasia

[Robhumphrey04]

Well played sir. Well played.

[CoreyR]

The Canadian VA is no better. An ugly story making the rounds today.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news ... euthanasia

Please don't give these guys ideas!
They did ask me if i felt "like harming myself or others? " I responded, "no, I haven't read the news yet today! " the nurse busted out laughing.

[Ruffinogold]

Evening gents. I was being admitted to the Richmond VA hospital this evening and was asked a bunch of questions. Many of them were standards that we have dealt with for a long time, do you drink? Do you smoke? And the like. I told them my standard, "I smoke a pipe" and they moved on with the questioning.
When they got done I was informed that "someone from mental health" will be contacting me during my stay. I said, hold on a minute, I gave you no answers to trigger that. I was then told that "ANY tobacco use" is now considered a "mental health problem."
This is a problem because the mental health people, at the VA, can arbitrarily submit a report, without any justification, which nullifys our rights to own firearms. We find out about it when police show up on our doorstep and there isn't even a process for us to argue against it.
And this coming from the folks who have, for some years now, been refusing me pain meds but encouraging me to "self medicate!"
Bottom line, if you are a vet and go to the VA either tell them no or refuse to answer any tobacco questions.
Oh, and they searched my belongings thoroughly upon admission and informed me that my zippo, or any lighter, is "contraband" and needed to be handed over to the VA police.
Next time I'll just die at home....free.

A lighter is contraband to be handed over to the police .... wtf . Im not understanding any logic in their actions

It sounds like they need to be reported

[CoreyR]

@Ruffinogold
Sure thing man, I'll report them to the agency with authority over VA facilities....let's see now, that would be... the VA police.

[Wildcat]

@Ruffinogold
Sure thing man, I'll report them to the agency with authority over VA facilities....let's see now, that would be... the VA police.

[Ronv69]

We have a border wide open but you are a possible "mental health threat" due to pipe smoking . . . welcome to JB's socialism.

-sp

That statement would get you special attention! Not a veteran but I learned to just say no to doctors and health care people a long time ago the hard way. So 80% of all Americans were mentally ill in the 50s and 60s?

[Ronv69]

Life goals right here. You sir have achieved nirvana. I wanna sit on my front porch naked drinking coffee smoking pipe and never have to worry about a citation.

Actually, I can do that, from my back porch at least. The road passes out front.

I do sit on the porch naked sometimes, not often. 200+ yards from the highway. Old man has to have some fun.

[Ronv69]

Ok, the "mental health" dude showed up in my room. This guy did NOT look like a medical professional, he looked like a punk college kid campaigning to tear down a statue somewhere.
He marched in and started preaching to me about "cigarettes!" He was 30 seconds into it when I held my hand up until he stopped like a sailboat that had lost the wind. I looked him in the eye and said, "I do NOT smoke cigarettes, I CANNOT stand cigarettes. "
For about a minute he looked like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out. Then he blurted, "how long has it been since you stopped smoking cigarettes? "
I looked him in the eye again and said, "I have NEVER smoked those nasty things, I told you, I cannot stand them. "
At this point I thought he might cry. He seemed very upset, stammered a bit, and then said, "our information indicated you were a heavy cigarette smoker."
I told him, I do smoke a pipe. He brightened up and launched into a tirade about "inhaled smoke" and "added nicotene." I smiled at him nicely and informed him that "you do not inhale pipe tobacco smoke and I use blended tobaccos without chemical additives."
He asked me a couple of, actually, good questions about pipe tobaccos and how we smoke them. Then he told me, "well, if you ever need mental health services, just give us a call."
Being the ever-smart-ass that I am I have him a level look and said, "well, there is one thing, I've been having trouble with how I identify. Friends and family are just not accepting of who I truly am, they laugh at me, and I could use the VAs help with this." He perked up and, very feelingly,, said, "sure, sure, how do you identify?"
I said, "rich, I identify as rich, no one believes me because I seem to lack money in my bank account....I assume the VA can help with this? " at this point he left the room with me calling after him ...."so how soon is the VA going to help me out here! "

I know, I know, I shouldn't have but it was just too good to pass up.

This is what I mean! When my BIL and uncle were in the VA in Houston I found that people who work there have to have much more of a sense of humor than regular hospitals. You get a bunch of old soldiers together and you'll hear some stuff.