Maldives Becomes First Country to Impose Generational Smoking Ban
MALE, Maldives — The Maldives has made history by becoming the first country in the world to impose a generational smoking ban, making it illegal for anyone born after January 1, 2007, to smoke, buy, or sell tobacco.
The law took effect on Saturday, with the Health Ministry calling it a “historic milestone in the nation’s efforts to protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation.” The move cements the Maldives’ global lead in the fight against tobacco use, the ministry said.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking kills more than seven million people worldwide each year. In the Maldives, a 2021 national survey showed that over 25% of adults aged 15–69 used tobacco, while the rate among teenagers aged 13–15 was nearly double.
While the Maldives is the first to implement such a ban, other countries have explored similar measures. New Zealand passed a groundbreaking law in 2022 banning tobacco sales to those born after January 1, 2009, but the law was repealed in 2023 before it took effect. In the United Kingdom, a comparable bill — banning tobacco for anyone born after January 1, 2009 — is currently progressing through parliament.
British health leaders have urged lawmakers to act quickly, warning that over 120,000 young adults have started smoking in the six months since the bill was last debated.
The Maldives’ anti-tobacco push has been years in the making. In late 2024, the government banned all vaping products, prohibiting their import, sale, and use regardless of age. Authorities now plan to expand anti-smoking clinics across the archipelago to help smokers quit, offering counseling and medication support.
Earlier this year, the president even proposed cash rewards for islands that become completely smoke-free, underscoring the government’s determination to eliminate tobacco use from public life.
With this bold move, the Maldives has set a global precedent — one that public health experts hope will inspire other nations to follow.
