Male: The Maldives has made history by becoming the first country in the world to introduce a generational smoking ban, permanently prohibiting anyone born on or after January 1, 2007, from buying or using tobacco products. The new law, which came into effect on November 1, 2025, aims to create a “tobacco-free generation” and reduce the growing burden of smoking-related diseases in the island nation.

President Mohamed Muizzu ratified the amendment to the Tobacco Control Act earlier this year, marking a major step in the country’s public health policy.

Under the revised law, tobacco products cannot be sold, distributed, or imported for individuals in the affected age group, meaning that those born after the cutoff date will never be legally allowed to smoke in their lifetime.

The le

See Full Page