Culture and Society
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The Maldives has become the first country in the world to successfully implement a generational tobacco ban, with the new law making it illegal for anyone born on or after January 1, 2007, to buy, use, or sell any form of tobacco.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.Coming into force on November 1, a statement from the Ministry of Health called the ban “a historic milestone in the nation’s efforts to protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation.”
The use of tobacco – a catchall name for plants in the Nicotiana genus – is known to effect nearly every organ in the body, and is linked to multiple health problems including cancer, stroke, and heart disease. According to the World Health Organization, it’s responsible for more than 7 million deaths each year.
It’s perhaps no wonder then that many countries have sought to target tobacco use to improve public health and reduce an avoidable burden on healthcare systems. One way to do that is with generational tobacco bans, which stop anyone of a certain age or younger from ever legally buying or using tobacco products, theoretically leading to a future generation left unaffected by the health problems of tobacco use.
Implementing such a ban, however, seems to be easier said than done. While the Maldives might be the first country to succeed in enforcing a generational tobacco ban, it isn’t the first to have tried bringing this kind of law in.
Back in 2022, New Zealand was set to become the first country to break ground in this area, with the government passing a law that would’ve prevented anyone born on or after January 1, 2009 from ever purchasing tobacco products. The restrictions were due to come into effect in 2027 – but before that date could be reached, the law was repealed, with the government at the time citing the need for cigarette sales revenue to fund new tax cuts.
While those opposed to generational tobacco bans have used the repeal as evidence that these kinds of policies don’t work, that didn’t stop the Maldives, and other countries and regions elsewhere are still attempting to bring similar legislation in.
In the UK, after a false start with a previous attempt, a fresh generational tobacco ban bill is currently making its way through the government. In the US, Massachusetts state lawmakers have also been weighing up a generational ban, with such laws already existing in several of the state’s towns.
