Maldives Enacts World’s First Generational Tobacco Ban — No Tobacco for Those Born After Jan. 1, 2007

Maldives enforces a global first: a generational tobacco ban

The Maldives has become the first country in the world to introduce a nationwide generational tobacco ban, making it illegal to smoke, buy or sell tobacco for anyone born after January 1, 2007. The measure, announced by the country’s Ministry of Health, took effect on Saturday and is being promoted as a major public-health milestone.

“This marks a historic milestone in the nation’s efforts to protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation,” the Ministry of Health said.

According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use causes more than seven million deaths globally each year. A national survey published in 2021 found that more than a quarter of Maldivian adults aged 15 to 69 used tobacco, with prevalence among younger teens (ages 13 to 15) reported to be nearly double the adult rate.

For international context, roughly 20% of adults in the United States used tobacco in 2022, while nearly 12% of adults in the United Kingdom were smokers in 2023.

How this fits into wider policy efforts

Though the Maldives is the first to enshrine such a generational restriction in law, similar proposals have been debated elsewhere. In 2022 New Zealand passed a pioneering restriction that would have barred tobacco sales to anyone born after January 1, 2009; that measure was later rolled back a year after passage as part of budget adjustments and to help finance tax cuts, a move that drew criticism from public-health advocates.

In the United Kingdom, lawmakers have introduced several versions of a generational tobacco bill; a new proposal currently progressing through Parliament would prohibit tobacco for people born after January 1, 2009 and would also tighten sales rules for tobacco and vaping products. An open letter from British health leaders recently urged Parliament to pass the bill, saying delays have real public-health costs — the letter claimed more than 120,000 young adults began smoking in the six months since the measure was last debated.

Related measures in the Maldives

The generational ban complements other recent steps by Maldivian authorities. In late 2024 the government outlawed the import, possession, use, manufacture and distribution of all electronic cigarettes (vapes), regardless of age. Officials say they will expand anti-smoking clinics that offer medication and support to help people quit, and the president has proposed cash rewards for communities or islands that successfully eliminate smoking.

Supporters of the policy say it could dramatically reduce future smoking-related illness and deaths by preventing a generation from becoming nicotine-dependent. Critics and public-health experts have raised practical questions about enforcement, cross-border sales and informal markets; the government has said enforcement and cessation support will be priorities as the law is implemented.

What to watch next: how the Maldives enforces the ban, the effectiveness of cessation programs, and whether other countries follow with similar laws or altered proposals.