A new study from 2018 has revealed that more than 311 people in Vanuatu have died every year as a result of smoking.

Coordinator of the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Unit under the Ministry of Health, Gibson Ala, said that 29 percent of these deaths were caused by secondhand smoke  meaning non-smokers who were exposed to others smoking nearby.

Mr. Ala said smoking is a major contributor to NCDs, which are already affecting large numbers of people across the country. He noted that smoking has become a common habit among both young people and older generations, often used as a way to cope with stress or to socialize.

“Cigarettes contain between 4,000 and 5,000 chemicals that harm the body,” Mr. Ala explained.

“Some are the same chemicals used to preserve dead bodies, others are found in nail polish, fertilizer, airplane fuel, and glue.”

The study also found that local tobacco, widely smoked across the islands, poses severe health risks.

“There are chemicals in local tobacco that are even more harmful than in cigarettes, and they can cause cancer,” Mr. Ala said.