Maldives becomes the first country to impose a generational ban on smoking

The Maldives has become the first country in the world to impose a generational smoking ban, barring anyone born after Jan. 1, 2007, from ever smoking, purchasing or using tobacco.

“The ban applies to all forms of tobacco, and retailers are required to verify age prior to sale,” the health ministry said Saturday as the ban came into effect.

The step “makes the Maldives the first country in the world to enforce a nationwide generational tobacco ban,” it added.

The South Asian archipelago, which has a population of over half a million, already enforces a complete ban on vapes and electronic cigarettes — regardless of age — in an effort to cut down on smoking across the country.

Tobacco is responsible for nearly 7 million global deaths annually, according to the World Health Organization, which calls the “tobacco epidemic” one of the “biggest public health threats the world has ever faced.”

About a quarter of the population over the age of 15 consumes tobacco in the Maldives, according to a 2021 survey by the agency. Smoking is especially prevalent among young people, with nearly half of those ages 13 to 15 consuming some form of tobacco.

While the Maldives is the first country to officially impose a generational smoking ban, similar proposals have been considered by other countries, including New Zealand, which passed a law in 2022 that would have prohibited tobacco sales to anyone born after Jan. 1, 2009, starting in 2024.

New Zealand’s new center-right government rolled back the law in 2023, drawing criticism from health experts.

The British Parliament is considering a similar bill which, if passed, would bar anyone born after Jan. 1, 2009, from procuring and using tobacco and vapes.