Health officials in Fiji are concerned about rising smoking and alcohol use among young people, following new data presented from the Ministry of Health’s STEPS survey at the Fiji College of General Practitioners conference. Dr. Devina Nand, Head of Health and Wellness, reported that 36.3% of Fijians currently smoke, including 50% of men and 20.6% of women, with nearly one in five smoking daily. Manufactured cigarettes account for 80.6% of use, while 9.5% use smokers’ tobacco, particularly prevalent among those aged 18 to 29. Nand said tobacco use was most common among people aged 18 to 49, and that smoking rates were highest in the Eastern Division. The report calls for earlier intervention, expanded cessation support, higher tobacco and alcohol taxes, tighter marketing controls, and broader community health programs to address the trend.
Tag: Fiji
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Survey Breaks Down Fiji’s Smoking Habits
A survey in Fiji found that 36.3% of adults currently use tobacco, with significantly higher smoking rates among men (50.8%) than women (20.6%). Manufactured cigarettes remain the dominant tobacco product among smokers, with 80.6% of daily smokers using them, according to the Fiji STEPS Survey 2025. The survey was conducted between May 2024 and June 2025 among adults aged 18 to 69.
Daily smoking was reported by 19.5% of adults, while smokeless tobacco use stood at 9.5%, primarily among men. The study also highlighted emerging nicotine trends, with 4.5% of adults reporting e-cigarette use, indicating growing diversification in nicotine consumption despite the continued dominance of manufactured cigarettes.
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BAT Fiji Cuts Emissions with Sustainable Curing Barn
British American Tobacco (BAT) Fiji has upgraded the curing barn at its Votualevu, Nadi leaf facility, enabling a shift from diesel to sustainable fuel and cutting annual carbon emissions by an estimated 428 tons, according to the Fiji Sun.
The $1 million “Project GreenEN,” part of BAT’s wider ESG program, is expected to save $200,000 annually while supporting local agriculture. BAT Fiji employs about 1,100 seasonal workers and works with hundreds of farmers, as the group maintains leaf-growing operations in the country.
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Fiji Assessing Needs to Implement FCTC’s Illicit Tobacco Protocol
An international team is working with officials in Fiji this week to assess the nation’s needs for effectively implementing the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, the first protocol adopted under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). Illicit trade, officials say, threatens public health by increasing access to cheaper tobacco products, fueling the tobacco epidemic, and undermining tobacco control policies. It also leads to significant government revenue losses and contributes to the funding of international criminal activities.
This international treaty aims to eliminate all forms of illicit trade in tobacco products through a package of measures implemented by countries cooperating. The assessment is being conducted by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, WHO FCTC Secretariat, and WHO.
Fiji loses FJD 319 million ($140 million) to tobacco-related costs annually, which represents 2.7% of its GDP and significantly exceeds revenues from cigarette taxes. A key finding from “Operation EXIT,” a collaboration between the Oceania Customs Organization and the WHO, revealed that illicit tobacco trade is on the rise in the Pacific region.
“Every year, tobacco use claims more than 1,200 Fijian lives, with 71% of these deaths occurring in individuals under the age of 70,” Permanent Secretary for Fiji Health and Medical Services Dr. Jemesa Tudravu said. “The prevalence of smoking in Fiji remains notably high, particularly among adults and young people, posing a severe threat to our public health. The impact of tobacco-related diseases results in increased morbidity and mortality, affecting families, communities, and our entire nation.”
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Fiji Tobacco Farming Increasing
Image: Chelsea | Adobe Stock Tobacco farming in Fiji is increasing, according to FBC News.
With tobacco cultivation taking only three months in Fiji, many farmers are turning to the crop as an easier, faster agricultural endeavor. BAT offers support for tobacco farming in the area as well.
“Before, it’s really doing cash crop from the farm and then load it and take it to the market and sell, but this one, it’s different; the market is there,” said one farmer.
Tobacco farming is significantly easier than traditional sugar cane farming, according to another farmer. “Sugar cane farming is very hard. This one [tobacco] is only 3 [months to] 4 months, 4 months finished, which is a good, big amount.”
BAT offers access to quality seeds and modern farming techniques as well as training programs and knowledge-sharing initiatives. BAT employs more than 300 farmers across Fiji.