Tobacco smoking in Solomon Islands

In the Solomon Islands, smoking is legal but there are some restrictions ang regulations in place. Under these regulations, the sale and use of cigarettes are legal, and importing cigarettes for trade is allowed. While tobacco advertising is regulated, there is not a complete ban on all forms of advertising. Purchasing cigarettes online is permitted, however, sales from vending machines are prohibited. Additionally, the law requires health warnings on all packaging, sets a minimum legal age of 18 years for sales, and includes legal restrictions on smoking in public places. Cigarettes are subject to a 34.18% specific excise tax, with the total taxation rate of 43.28%.

Tobacco smoking remains a significant public health concern in the Solomon Islands. As of 2024, the adult current smoking prevalence was 39.2%, with a current prevalene of 57.1% among males and 20.8% among females. This represents a slight decrease in overall prevalence from 38% recorded in 2020. The total number of smokers aged 15 years and older was approximately 196,000 in 2024, showing an increase from 150,965 in 2020.

Smoking-related mortality is also a critical public health issue in the Solomon Islands. 728 deaths were attributed to smoking in 2021. Of these, 535 were male deaths and 192 were female deaths. This indicates that the percentage of all deaths attributable to smoking was 15.97% in the country, with a higher proportion among males (20.22%) compared to females (10.08%). These statistics underscore the ongoing challenge posed by tobacco smoking in the Solomon Islands, necessitating targeted public health interventions and regulatory measures to curb smoking rates and reduce associated health impacts.