Maldives became the first country in the world to introduce a generational smoking ban, prohibiting anyone born after January 1, 2007 from ever smoking, purchasing or using tobacco.
“The ban applies to all types of tobacco products and retailers are required to verify age before sale,” the health ministry said on Saturday when the ban came into force.
The move “makes the Maldives the first country in the world to introduce a nationwide tobacco ban for generations,” it added.
The South Asian archipelago, which has a population of more than half a million, is already introducing a complete ban on vaping and e-cigarettes – regardless of age – in an attempt to reduce smoking across the country.
Tobacco is responsible for nearly 7 million deaths worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization, which calls the “tobacco epidemic” one of the “largest public health threats the world has ever faced.”
About a quarter of the Maldivian population over 15 years of age use tobacco, according to a study. 2021 survey agency. Smoking is especially common among young people, with nearly half of people aged 13 to 15 using tobacco in some form.
Although the Maldives is the first country to officially introduce a generational smoking ban, similar proposals have been considered by other countries. including New Zealandwhich in 2022 passed a law banning the sale of tobacco products to persons born after January 1, 2009, starting in 2024.
New Zealand's new centre-right government repealed the law in 2023, drawing criticism from health experts.
The British Parliament is considering a similar bill that, if passed, would ban people born after January 1, 2009 from purchasing and using tobacco and vaping products.
