The Maldives Has Launched a Generational Smoking Ban: Who Is Affected?

As Americans debate the extent to which the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can ban cigarettes, the archipelago known as the Maldives is banning an entire generation from using, buying, and/or selling tobacco products.

While some nations have required tourists to take an eco pledge, the Maldives has taken things a few steps further and instituted a generation-wide ban on one of the most toxic substances around.

Who, you might be wondering, is affected by the tobacco ban, and when will the ban take effect? Are tourists exempt from the ban, or are tourists of a certain age in the Maldives also banned from using, buying, and/or selling tobacco products?

Below, we will be reviewing the latest news from the Maldives, examining the nuances of the ban on tobacco products, and elucidating who, exactly, is affected. Let's dive in.

According to a report in the BBC, the health ministry of the Maldives announced on Nov. 1 that the country will ban those born on or after Jan. 1, 2007, from using, buying, and/or selling tobacco.

"[The ban] reflects the government's strong commitment to protecting young people from the harms of tobacco," the health ministry said, per the BBC.

Last year, per the report, the country banned vaping, which proved to be a "good step towards a generation of tobacco-free citizens," Ahmed Afaal, the vice chair of the Maldives' tobacco control board, said.

"The import of vaping devices and related products became illegal on November 15, [2024]," according to a news report in The Diplomat. "The use, possession, manufacture, sale, advertising, and free distribution of e-cigarettes or vapes were prohibited with effect on Sunday, December 15."

Interestingly, the country of New Zealand made news for a similar generational smoking ban from 2022 to 2023, per The Guardian. The legislation, which was passed in 2022, was scrapped when new governmental leaders took over the following year.

The law had sought to ban those born on or after January 2009 from purchasing cigarettes.

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, sought similar legislation in his jurisdiction, as The Guardian reported in September 2023.

Sunak’s plan was to continuously raise the legal smoking age so that, eventually, anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, would be banned from purchasing tobacco.

No, tourists coming to visit the Maldives cannot bring cigarettes with them. The BBC report confirms that tourists visiting the Maldives must adhere to the new law, as well.

For what it's worth, Afaal noted the country's bevy of beaches, fresh air, and sunshine as reasons why tourists would not be dissuaded from visiting the Maldives.