Shania Shayal Prasad 
Tobacco-related illnesses in Fiji claim 1,200 lives and incur health-related costs of $11.5 million annually, while “invisible” costs such as lost workforce productivity and illness-related absenteeism are pegged at $307 million per annum.
This was highlighted by UNDP Policy Analyst Emily Roberts during the launch of the Investment Case for Tobacco Control for Fiji.
She explained 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.
“Looking deeper into the burden the about more than 1,200 deaths due to tobacco every year so 71 percent of these are premature meaning before the age of 70 and more than a quarter of these are due to secondhand smoke exposure so again people who may not even be smoking are still dying from exposure to tobacco smoke.”
Roberts also said that tobacco use placed a significant 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 said the costs affected not only individuals but the nation’s economic performance as a whole.
