Tobacco and vapes banned in the Maldives

From November 1, 2023, in the territory of the Republic of Maldives, it will be completely prohibited to purchase, consume, or sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2007. This was announced in a statement by the administration of President Muhammad Muizzu.

It was emphasized that the aim of this initiative is to form a “smoke-free generation”. The law also applies to foreigners—if they were born after this date, they are likewise not allowed to buy or smoke cigarettes.

In addition, in the Maldives, importing, selling, storing, and using e-cigarettes and vapes is completely banned. In this case, age restrictions do not apply.

A fine of 50,000 rufiyaa (approximately 3,270 US dollars) is set for selling tobacco products to those born after 2006. The use of vapes is punishable with a 5,000 rufiyaa fine (about 327 US dollars).

The Maldives is the second country in the world to introduce such a “generational ban” on tobacco products. New Zealand was the first to make this decision but later abandoned it, citing the need to boost the budget as the reason.

Similar measures are gradually being developed in the United Kingdom as well. Read “Zamin” on Telegram!