All forms of tobacco are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. As
such, tobacco use continues to be the world’s single largest preventable cause of diseases,
harming almost every organ of the body.
Given the current trends of the tobacco epidemic being exported from high-income countries to
low- and middle-income countries, it is estimated that tobacco use will kill more than 8 million
people annually by 2030, with 80% of these premature deaths in low-and middle-income countries.
In the ASEAN region, tobacco already causes more than half a million deaths every year.
Tobacco-caused diseases also impose a heavy economic burden on society and the government,
costing a staggering USD 1.66 trillion annual expenditure in tobacco-related
healthcare costs and in lost productivity due to illnesses and early deaths.Most ASEAN
governments already spend
significant amounts of their budgets on direct and indirect tobacco-related healthcare costs
that are many times higher than the revenues gained from tobacco.
In addition, tobacco product pollution causes a serious threat to the environment. Six ASEAN
countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) have among the
highest volumes of cigarette plastics entering the environment worldwide. It is estimated a
global 4.5 trillion cigarette butts (including 452.6 billion from the ASEAN region) is being
discarded into the environment yearly. ASEAN countries spend around USD 9.97 billion annually on
managing marine pollution and waste caused by tobacco product packaging and cigarette butts.
Tobacco: Global agent of death
Tobacco killed about 100 million people worldwide in the 20th century, and
remains a serious and growing concern.
Tobacco will kill 1 billion people in the 21st century unless urgent action is
taken. About half of these deaths will occur before 70 years of age.
About USD 1.66 trillion social and economic losses due to tobacco use in
2022, the equivalent of 1.7% of annual global gross domestic product (GDP).
- Around 80% of the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries.
- In 2020, 22.3% of the world’s population used tobacco (36.7% of men and 7.8% of women).
On the basis of current consumption patterns, approximately 450 million adults will be killed by smoking between 2000 and 2050. At least half of these adults will die between 30 and 69 years of age, losing decades of productive life.
Direct and indirect tobacco-related health care costs in ASEAN
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are an ever-increasing health threat for future generations. Tobacco use is a leading common risk factor for NCDs, killing 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally, including 15 million people aged between 30 and 69 years.
Global economic cost of tobacco health burden
Tobacco use generated USD 1.66 trillion in social and economic losses in 2022, the equivalent of 1.7% of global GDP.
Tobacco threats to the environment
The marine pollution and waste management cost of tobacco product packaging and cigarette butts in ASEAN.
Total environmental cost per year in ASEAN: USD 9.97 billion
Six ASEAN countries among biggest cigarette plastics polluters worldwide
Tobacco plastic waste is costing the global economy USD 25.7 billion every year in waste management and marine ecosystem service losses, with a total of USD 186 billion in the past 10 years considering inflation rates. The loss of ecosystem services during the plastics’ lifetime is USD 3.7 trillion per year. About 4.5 trillion cigarette butts (including 452.6 billion from the ASEAN region) are discarded into the environment in a single year, making them the most littered item on earth and the most common item of litter on beaches.
| Country | Total number of cigarettes smoked by adults annually in ASEAN (billion) | |
|---|---|---|
| Brunei | 0.13 | About 452.6 billion cigarette butts discarded annually in ASEAN. |
| Cambodia | 7.67 | |
| Indonesia | 278.85 | |
| Lao PDR | 4 | |
| Malaysia | 22.886 | |
| Myanmar | 4.34 | |
| Philippines | 52.36 | |
| Singapore | 1.26 | |
| Thailand | 2.05 | |
| Vietnam | 79.05 |
Marine pollution and waste management costs per year for the lifetime of tobacco plastics (USD)
The loss of marine capital due to plastics is estimated to be USD 3,300 to 33,000 per tonne per year or about USD 0.5 trillion – USD 2.5 trillion per year.
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