This is FIRST country in world where smoking is BANNED, tourists also prohibited from tobacco use, fines of up to..., not Bhutan or New Zealand, it is...
The Maldives has enacted a generational smoking ban starting in 2025, prohibiting tobacco use for those born after 2007, including tourists, with heavy fines.Summary
The Maldives has become the first country globally to introduce a generational ban on smoking, effective November 1, 2025, aiming for a tobacco-free society. Under the new law, anyone born after January 1, 2007, is prohibited from buying or using any tobacco product, and this restriction extends to tourists visiting the islands. The ban covers all tobacco types, including e-cigarettes and vaping devices, which cannot be imported, sold, owned, or used by anyone regardless of age. Breaking the law carries severe penalties; shops selling tobacco to the restricted age group face fines up to 50,000 Maldivian rufiyaa (approx. Rs. 2.9 lakh), while e-cigarette users can be fined 5,000 rufiyaa. The Ministry of Health hailed this as a "historic milestone" supporting the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This policy follows the "tobacco-free generation" model, contrasting with New Zealand, which recently repealed a similar planned ban.
(Source：India.com)
