Maldives smoking ban: The Maldives has barred anyone born on or after 1 January 2007 from smoking, buying, or selling tobacco, becoming the first country to implement a nationwide “generational” tobacco prohibition.
Announced by the Health Ministry, the law applies to all forms of tobacco and requires retailers to verify age at the point of sale. Officials said the measure underscores the government’s commitment to shielding young people from tobacco-related harm and aligns with obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Also Read | World smoking rates fall, but WHO warns of new nicotine wave among youth
The move follows the archipelago’s sweeping 2024 crackdown on vaping, which outlawed the import, sale, possession, and use of e-cigarettes for all ages. Ahmed Afaal, vice chair of the Tobacco Control Board, called the vaping ban a key step toward a tobacco-free generation, arguing that modern devices are designed to hook younger users.
Tourists must also comply, but authorities do not expect an impact on arrivals. “People don’t come to the Maldives because they’re able to smoke,” Afaal said, citing continued growth in visitor numbers and projecting more than two million tourists next year.
Internationally, similar efforts have stumbled or are still advancing. New Zealand’s plan for a generational ban was scrapped in 2023 after a change of government. In the UK, legislation to prohibit smoking for those born in 2009 or later has cleared the House of Commons and is now in committee in the House of Lords, nearing final approval.