1,200 Fijians die every year from tobacco-related illnesses which accounts for 17 percent of all deaths in Fiji, and these deaths incur health-related costs of $11.5 million annually.
This has been highlighted by UNDP Policy Analyst Emily Roberts at the launch of the Investment Case for Tobacco Control for Fiji.
The major concern is that 71 percent of these deaths are premature and more than a quarter of these are due to passive smoking where they are exposed to people who smoke in the house or public places.
Roberts says 31 percent of all Fijians are smokers out of which 14 percent are women.
She says other invisible costs such as lost workforce productivity and illness-related absenteeism are estimated at $307 million per annum.
She reiterates that the hidden costs of tobacco use go beyond healthcare expenses and also include where employees are present but unable to perform at full capacity due to illness.
Roberts stressed that tobacco use placed a strain on families and communities, as the economic and emotional toll of tobacco-related illnesses is felt deeply by those who care for affected individuals.
She says the costs affected not only individuals but the nation’s economic performance.
