HPA said that significant amounts are also spent on importing e-cigarettes and tobacco used in hookahs, while, Aasandha incurs substantial costs treating diseases caused by tobacco use.
Health Protection Agency (HPA) has recommended imposing additional taxes on tobacco products to reduce their usage in the Maldives.
In an article titled “Let’s Save Children and Youth from Tobacco,” published on the Ministry of Health website, HPA expressed concern over the increasing use of electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches among teenagers and youth in the Maldives.
The agency advocates for regulations to increase taxes on these products and allocate some of the revenue for tobacco control and health promotion efforts.
According to the 2021-2022 Step Survey, which identifies risks related to non-communicable diseases, children in the Maldives begin using tobacco as early as eight years old. The Global School Health Survey, which focuses on students aged 13 to 17, indicates that some children start smoking before the age of seven, a matter of significant concern for the HPA.
The surveys revealed that the proportion of children aged 13 to 17 using tobacco products was 14.7 percent in 2009, which decreased to 12.3 percent in 2014. This decline is attributed to the implementation of regulations establishing no-smoking areas across the Maldives.
However, the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey showed an increase in tobacco use among children, rising from 4.3 percent in 2011 to 4.7 percent in 2019. Additionally, the total proportion of children who smoke jumped from 11.2 percent to 45.7 percent over the same period.
HPA highlighted that the Maldives spends MVR 1.8 billion annually to import 400 million cigarettes. Significant amounts are also spent on importing e-cigarettes and tobacco used in hookahs, while, Aasandha, the universal health insurance scheme incurs substantial costs treating diseases caused by tobacco use.
Expressing concern over the rising number of tobacco-related diseases, HPA emphasized on the extensive expenditure on long-term treatment and the numerous life changing challenges these diseases bring forth.
The agency called for measures to halt the advertisement and marketing of tobacco products, prevent new exposures, and monitor the tobacco trade. It also advocated for strengthened regulations banning smoking in public places to reduce exposure to tobacco and protect the rights of non-smokers.
The Maldives currently imposes higher import duties on tobacco products compared to other goods.
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