REVENUE earned from cigarette taxes do not justify the economic cost of tobacco use in Fiji and calls have been made for its nationwide ban.
Citing a recent report on the “Investment Case for Tobacco Control in Fiji”, head of wellness at the Ministry of Health Dr Devina Nand said the death of more than 1200 Fijians annually was attributed to tobacco, with the war against its long term impact on health costing Fiji about $318m a year, or 2.7 per cent of the annual GDP.
“More importantly, it cost us 4.3 times more than the revenue generated by tobacco taxes,” Dr Nand said at last week’s launch of the Consumer Council’s report on suki, tited: “Smoke Signal: Understanding the Drivers of Suki Consumption in Fiji.”
At the event, World Health Organisation’s Pacific technical support staff Dr Tomo Kanda said Palau, Cook Islands and Nauru have taken bold strides in combatting NCDs through tougher tobacco measures including national bans on the use, import, manufacture and possession.
“That (what Palau, Nauru and Cook Islands have done) would be the benchmark for us — a tobacco free nation,” Dr Nand said.
“As a health professional, I don’t see the benefits from tobacco. And the investment cases speak to us. Why are we growing things that will harm our people for short term benefits and then suffering the longer term impacts of chronic disease and ill health.
“Yes, we would like to go for a tobacco-free nation but it needs all stakeholders to come to the forefront, we need all of society to come together and make sure that we go for this tobacco free nation.”
The “Investment Case for Tobacco Control in Fiji” report revealed that in 2019, economic losses from tobacco use amounted to $319m.
The losses, it noted, include $11.5m in healthcare expenditures and $307m in indirect losses due to “tobacco-attributable mortality and ill-health as well as workplace smoking breaks.
“The indirect economic losses from current tobacco use in Fiji—96 per cent of all tobacco-related costs—indicate that tobacco use impedes development in Fiji beyond health.”