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The Maldives launched a smoking ban on Saturday, targeting individuals born after January 2007, making it the first country to enforce a generational ban on tobacco, according to the Health Ministry.
This initiative, proposed by President Mohamed Muizzu earlier this year and effective from November 1, aims to “protect public health and foster a tobacco-free generation,” the ministry stated.
The regulation also extends to tourists visiting the nation, which comprises 1,191 small coral islands distributed over approximately 800 kilometres (500 miles) along the equator and recognised for its luxury tourism.
The ministry added that there is a comprehensive ban on the importation, sale, distribution, possession, and use of electronic cigarettes and vaping products, applying to everyone regardless of age. Penalties for selling tobacco products to minors include a fine of 50,000 rufiyaa ($3,200), while a violation involving vaping devices incurs a 5,000 rufiyaa ($320) fine.
A similar generational restriction proposed in Britain is currently undergoing the legislative process, whereas New Zealand, the first country to implement such a smoking ban, revoked it in November 2023, just under a year after its introduction.
