MADISON, Wis. -- A new University of Wisconsin study set to begin in January is aiming to help troops coping with post-traumatic stress disorder to overcome smoking when they return home.

The study by the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention has a goal of helping soldiers kick their smoking habit.

"A lot of time that you were exhausted and you needed to have some time out," said veteran Deeann Hansen. "We were on a road march and when we were told to stop we were allowed to take a break, and the comment was made to us that, 'Smoke 'em if you got 'em,' and if you don't they told us to pick up cigarette butts and trash."

Studies show Hansen isn't the only one to leave the military addicted to tobacco. It's something she blamed on the high stress load of life in the services.

Around 7 million U.S. vets suffer from PTSD and more than half smoke -- and that statistic is sparking some research.

"The research is aiming to understand the reasons why veterans with PTSD smoke and ultimately we have the goal of helping these veterans quit smoking," said Dr. Jessica Cook, a researcher at the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention.

Hansen said answers might be hard to find but that they are necessary.

"There's got to be some other way to figure out how to wind down. You can't drink and you can't go play a video game and you can't play hop scotch, but there's got to be some other way," Hansen said.

One idea that researchers in Fort Hood, Texas, have come up with to help veterans quit smoking is a new video game called "Project Combat." The game will be tested in 2011 and tentatively released in 2013.