Smoking Tobacco

Smoking is a public health issue predominantly driven by young men in Vanuatu. More than 1 in 3 males smoke cigarettes or tobacco regularly. Smoking is highly addictive regardless of educational attainment or location and can lead to severe consequences, from cancers to heart problems and more. Smoking shares a relationship with kava consumption, however, the data suggests young males are smoking before they have started drinking kava, making tobacco a potential gateway to kava drinking. A small percentage of the smoke free population reported having regularly smoked cigarettes or tobacco in the past, providing a silver lining and hope for those looking to stop. The storyteller in this episode is a reformed smoker - this is his story.