Maldives Implements Generational Ban On Tobacco Use

The Maldives has introduced a groundbreaking law prohibiting anyone born on or after 1 January 2007 from smoking tobacco, making it the first nation in the world to establish a permanent generational smoking ban.

The country’s health ministry announced on Saturday that individuals from this age group will not be permitted to smoke, purchase, or sell tobacco products anywhere within the island nation.

The ban, the ministry said, “reflects the government’s strong commitment to protecting young people from the harms of tobacco.”

Ahmed Afaal, vice chair of the archipelago’s tobacco control board, said that last year’s comprehensive ban on vaping had been “a good step towards a generation of tobacco-free citizens.”

According to the health ministry, the new policy “applies to all forms of tobacco, and retailers are required to verify age prior to sale,” emphasizing that the measure aligns with the Maldives’ commitments under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

The WHO describes the convention as one that “provides a global response to a global problem – namely, the tobacco epidemic.”

Afaal noted that the earlier ban on vaping played a crucial role in protecting young people, explaining that “these new stylish gadgets are tactics of the industry to approach the younger generations to uptake addictive processes, which definitely harms their health.”

Under last year’s regulations, it became illegal to import, sell, possess, or use e-cigarettes and vaping devices in the Maldives, regardless of a person’s age.

Tourists visiting the island nation will also be subject to the same restrictions, but Afaal dismissed concerns that the ban could harm tourism.

“People don’t come to the Maldives because they’re able to smoke. They come for the beaches, they come for the sea, they come for the sun, and they come for the fresh air,” he said.

Citing tourism statistics, Afaal added that there had been no cancellations linked to the ban, noting that visitor numbers had actually increased over the past year.

“We’re projecting more than 2m [tourists] in the next year,” he said.

New Zealand had previously planned to enact a similar generational smoking ban but abandoned the effort in 2023 following a change in government — a decision many health advocates and Māori communities, who face some of the highest smoking rates, described as a setback.

In the United Kingdom, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak proposed a comparable law to prohibit smoking among individuals born in or after 2009. The updated version of that bill, now introduced by the current administration, has passed through the Commons and is undergoing review in the House of Lords, approaching final approval.