The director general of the Pacific Community, Colin Tukuitonga, says the region is making progress in cutting smoking levels.
Photo: AFP
Dr Tukuitonga was speaking to mark World No Tobacco Day.
It is well documented that the Pacific has some of the highest rates of tobacco use, with approximately half of the adult population in Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Tokelau and Wallis and Futuna smoking daily.
SPC Director-General, Colin Tukuitonga. Photo: Pacificwomen.org
At last year's Pacific NCD Summit, Dr Tukuitonga said there was a commitment to strengthen legislation to comply with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
He said they also agreed to try and exceed the Pacific NCD Roadmap taxation target with the aim of a 'Tobacco Free Pacific' by 2025.
He also added that some progress is being made. For example, surveys in Samoa show daily adult smoker numbers dropped from approximately 35 per cent in 2002 to under 25 per cent in 2013.