Maldives becomes first country to impose generational smoking ban

Maldives generational smoking ban: The Maldives has become the first country in the world to impose a “generational” ban on smoking, preventing individuals born on or after January 2007 from purchasing, using or selling tobacco in all its forms.
The Maldivian health minry called the move a “horic milestone in the nation’s efforts to protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation.”
Is it the first such step?
There have been numerous such planned but none was implemented. One of the most famous was the 2002 New Zealand legislation banning sale of tobacco to anyone born after January 1, 2009. It was supposed to kick into effect starting 2024 but it was rolled back a year earlier to help fund tax cuts.
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The United Kingdom, too, had seen such pieces of legislation tabled but never passed. A new version of a previous bill, vowing to ban tobacco for anyone born after January 1, 2009, and spruce up regulations on sale of tobacco and vaping products, is currently making its way through parliament.
What is Maldives’ generational smoking ban
The ban on individuals born on or after January 2007 purchasing, using or selling tobacco in all its forms was enacted through the Second Amendment to the Tobacco Control Act ratified President Mohamed Muizzu.
The South Asian island nation also maintains a comprehensive ban on the import, sale, dribution, possession, and use of electronic cigarettes and vaping products, applicable to all individuals regardless of age.
Why smoking ban is a big step?
Smoking causes more than seven million deaths globally each year, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).Story continues below this ad
According to the WHO data, in 2024, about 25.5 per cent of the Maldivian population between the ages of 15 to 69 years were tobacco users. Among males the share stood at 41.7 per cent, and females it was 9.3 per cent.
According to CNN, which assessed the 2021 data, that rate of tobacco usage was almost double for young teens aged 13 to 15.
“The Generational Ban on Tobacco reflects the Government’s strong commitment to protecting young people from the harms of tobacco and aligns with the Maldives’ obligations under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC),” a statement from the Maldives health minry said.
Smoking causes more than seven million deaths globally each year, as per the WHO.