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12h ago

Maldives Enacts World’s First Generational Tobacco Ban, Effective November 1

Officials say the measure targets youth nicotine use through lifetime restrictions for those born in 2007 or later, with ID checks plus fines.

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Verboten sind Tabak für nach 2006 Geborene, inkl. E-Zigaretten.
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Overview

  • The law bars anyone born on or after January 1, 2007 from buying, using or selling tobacco products in the Maldives.
  • The rules cover all tobacco forms, explicitly including e‑cigarettes; officials also maintain a nationwide ban on e‑cigarette import, sale, possession and use regardless of age, according to the Health Ministry.
  • Retailers must verify customers’ ages, with a 50,000 Rufiyaa fine for selling to the prohibited cohort.
  • Using e‑cigarettes carries a 5,000 Rufiyaa penalty, and the restrictions apply to tourists as well as residents.
  • The Maldives is currently the only country with such a generational prohibition, with the UK pursuing comparable legislation and New Zealand having repealed its version in 2023.