The Maldives has become the first country to impose a generational smoking ban, which means smoking, buying and selling tobacco will be illegal for anyone born after January 1, 2007.

CNN quoted the Ministry of Health as saying that the ban took effect on Saturday in the South Asian archipelago, “marking a historic milestone in the nation’s efforts to protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation".

It further said that this measure “makes the Maldives the first country in the world to enforce a nationwide generational tobacco ban".

The government had already banned the import, possession, use, manufacturing and distribution of all vapes in the Maldives in late 2024, regardless of age.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking leads to more than seven million deat

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