Born After January 1, 2007? Maldives Says You Can Never Smoke

Last Updated:November 03, 2025, 16:46 IST

The Maldives becomes the first country to ban smoking for anyone born after January 1, 2007, marking a historic public health milestone, CNN and the Ministry of Health report.

While the Maldives became the first country to have implemented such a ban, discussions and debates have been held in several countries such as New Zealand.

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 deaths globally each year. A report stated that more than a quarter of the Maldives’ adult population (aged 15 to 69) used tobacco as of 2021 and it was almost double for young teens aged 13 to 15.

By comparison, close to 20% of adults in the United States used tobacco in 2022, and almost 12% of adults in the United Kingdom were smokers in 2023, CNN reported.

While the Maldives became the first country to have implemented such a ban, discussions and debates have been held in several countries such as New Zealand.

In 2022, the New Zealand government passed a smoking ban for those born after January 1, 2009. It was to come into effect in 2024 but was rolled back in 2023.

Similarly, bills related to ban on smoking was proposed in Britain but they failed to pass.

According to CNN, a number of British health leaders signed an open letter last week calling for the bill’s passage, and decrying delays in the process so far.

The leaders stated that since the bill was last debated in the parliament six months ago, more than 120,000 young adults have started smoking. The letter was signed by the leaders of major hospitals, cancer charities, and branches of the National Health Service (NHS).

News world Born After January 1, 2007? Maldives Says You Can Never Smoke

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