The Maldives has taken a bold public-health step by implementing a generational ban on the purchase and use of tobacco products, making it the only country in the world to adopt such a measure. From 1 November 2025, anyone born on or after 1 January 2007 is prohibited from buying, possessing or consuming tobacco in the island nation.
The policy, announced by the Ministry of Health, is aimed at “protecting public health and promoting a tobacco-free generation”. Under the new regulation, the ban covers all forms of tobacco, and applies equally to visitors and residents alike, underscoring the Maldives’ determination to close off any loophole for younger people entering the market.
Retailers have been instructed to verify customers’ dates of birth before selling tobacco products. The island nation also implements a comprehensive prohibition on the import, sale, distribution, possession and use of electronic cigarettes and vaping devices — applicable to all ages.
In terms of enforcement, the penalties are steep: sellers caught providing tobacco to under-2007-born individuals can face fines of 50,000 Maldivian rufiyaa (approx. US $3,200), while users of vape devices may be fined 5,000 rufiyaa (approx. US $320).
The Maldives, comprised of 1,191 coral islets spread across some 800 km in the Indian Ocean, is better known for luxury tourism than tough tobacco policy. Even so, the government has indicated that the ban will apply to visitors as well, signalling an uncompromising approach to ensuring the next generation remains smoke-free.
This move comes after other jurisdictions have either floated or enacted similar generational bans. For example, the United Kingdom is still considering legislation along these lines, while New Zealand initially introduced a generational smoking ban but later repealed it in November 2023.
Observers say that the Maldives’ decision marks a landmark in global anti-smoking policy. By locking in a ban at the generational level, the country signals a shift from regulating consumption to preventing access entirely for younger cohorts. It remains to be seen how effective enforcement will be, especially given the tourism-heavy economy and the challenges of monitoring visitors and grey-market products.
Supporters argue the policy could set a precedent for other nations grappling with high smoking or vaping rates among youth. Critics, however, raise questions about civil liberties and whether such sweeping prohibitions could fuel illicit trade or place undue burden on retailers and enforcement agencies.
For the Maldives, the gamble is clear: by shutting the door on future generations’ access to tobacco, the government is betting on long-term public-health gains that transcend the immediate financial incentives of tobacco tax revenue or tourism-driven indulgence. Whether the enforcement machinery can keep pace remains a key question—but for now, the archipelago stands alone in the global effort to deliver a “tobacco-free generation”.
