The Maldives has implemented a generational ban on tobacco, CBS News reports. The ban prohibits anyone born on or after January 1, 2007, from purchasing, using, or being sold tobacco products within its borders. The sweeping legislation, which took effect on November 1, 2025, applies to both residents and foreign visitors.
According to the press release from the Office of the President of the Maldives, the measure aims to “safeguard public health and protect future generations from the harmful effects of tobacco.” The ban addresses one of the world’s leading preventable causes of death and disease at its source by ensuring younger generations never legally start smoking. It also follows the Maldives’ comprehensive prohibition on e-cigarettes and vaping devices for all ages.
Details Of The Smoking Ban
The generational ban specifically targets individuals born on or after January 1, 2007, permanently prohibiting them from purchasing or using any form of tobacco products throughout their lifetime, even as they age. Action on Smoking and Health notes that this means anyone who is 18 or younger today will never be legally permitted to smoke in the Maldives.
Furthermore, the Maldives has established strict enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with the new tobacco regulations. Retailers are required to verify customers’ ages before selling tobacco products, with violations resulting in substantial financial penalties.
Euronews reports that selling tobacco to someone underage can lead to fines of up to 50,000 Maldivian rufiyaa (approximately $3,200). Individuals caught using banned products, particularly vaping devices, which are prohibited for all age groups, may face fines of 5,000 rufiyaa (around $320).
How The New Law Could Shape Tourism In The Maldives
The Maldives, known globally as a premier coastal paradise, attracts thousands of international visitors each year to its nearly 1,200 small coral islands in the Indian Ocean. The Health Ministry has explicitly confirmed that the new smoking regulations apply equally to tourists, requiring visitors born on or after January 1, 2007, to adhere to the same restrictions as residents.
This makes the Maldives the first nation to implement such restrictions that directly affect both international visitors and its own citizens. New Zealand previously attempted a similar generational smoking ban, which would have prohibited tobacco sales to anyone born after a specific date. Still, that legislation was repealed in 2023, less than a year after it was introduced.
The United Kingdom, under its previous administration, also considered comparable measures that would have progressively increased the legal smoking age. According to CBS News, this proposal is still moving through the legislative process.
