(a) For claims received by VA after June 9, 1998, a disability or death will not be considered service-connected on the basis that it resulted from injury or disease attributable to the veteran's use of tobacco products during service. For the purpose of this section, the term ``tobacco products'' means cigars, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, pipe tobacco, and roll-your-own tobacco.
(b) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this section do not prohibit service connection if:
(1) The disability or death resulted from a disease or injury that is otherwise shown to have been incurred or aggravated during service. For purposes of this section, ``otherwise shown'' means that the disability or death can be service-connected on some basis other than the veteran's use of tobacco products during service, or that the disability became manifest or death occurred during service; or
(2) The disability or death resulted from a disease or injury that appeared to the required degree of disability within any applicable presumptive period under Sec. Sec. 3.307, 3.309, 3.313, or 3.316; or
(3) Secondary service connection is established for ischemic heart disease or other cardiovascular disease under Sec. 3.310(b).
(c) For claims for secondary service connection received by VA after June 9, 1998, a disability that is proximately due to or the result of an injury or disease previously service-connected on the basis that it is attributable to the veteran's use of tobacco products during service will not be service-connected under Sec. 3.310(a). (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501(a), 1103, 1103 note) [66 FR 18198, Apr. 6, 2001]