According to the Ministry of Health of the Maldives, the country has become the first nation to ban smoking for an entire generation. Under the new rule, anyone born on or after January 1, 2007, is permanently prohibited from buying, using, or being sold cigarettes or any other tobacco products within the country.
This means that anyone who is 18 or younger today will never be able to legally smoke in the Maldives – even as they grow older.
The Ministry stated that the law aims to “protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation.” The ban applies to both residents and tourists visiting the Maldives, a nation of nearly 1,200 small coral islands in the Indian Ocean.
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Retailers are now required to verify a person’s age before selling tobacco, and violations – selling to anyone under the age cutoff – can result in a fine of 50,000 rufiyaa (about $3,200).
In addition, the Maldives already enforces a full ban on the import, sale, and use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices for people of all ages. Those caught using a vape may face a fine of 5,000 rufiyaa (about $320).
Only one other country, New Zealand, has previously attempted a similar generational smoking ban, though that policy was repealed in 2023.