The Maldives became the first country in the world to introduce a so-called ‘generational tobacco ban’ on Saturday. That reports the Ministry of Health. The measure was already announced earlier this year.
Anyone born after January 1, 2007 is now prohibited from purchasing or using tobacco products. The ban will apply for the rest of their lives. This means that all residents aged 18 and under will grow up smoke-free, is the idea behind the ban, which also applies to foreign tourists.
The measure is a “historic milestone” in the archipelago’s policy to “promote a tobacco-free generation,” the ministry said. The ban applies to all forms of tobacco. The country already had a ban on the import, sale and possession of electronic cigarettes and vapes.
A similar generation ban may also be introduced in the United Kingdom, but for everyone born after 2008. A bill for this has yet to be discussed by the British House of Lords.
In New Zealand, there were also plans to introduce a generational smoking ban: in 2021, a law was introduced that would increase the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes annually by one year from 2025. But in 2023, a new government withdrew the law.
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