24 hour run to mark start of ‘generation ban’ on smoking

A 24-hour run will be held this weekend to mark the implementation of the Generation Ban Act or Smoking Ban Act which prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone born in or after 2007.

A Health Ministry media official said the event will begin at 4 pm on Friday and end at 4 pm on Saturday, coinciding with the day the law comes into effect.

The run will feature a smoking cessation clinic, advocacy stalls, live music, and a photo booth, and will be open to participants of all ages.

The Generation Ban was introduced as an amendment to the Tobacco Control Act last May. It prohibits the sale of tobacco products to those born from 2007 onwards, effectively banning tobacco sales to future generations.

The Health Ministry said the accompanying regulations will be gazetted soon, and all tobacco sales will require age verification.

A separate amendment passed late last year also raised the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21, while the import of vapes and e-cigarettes has been banned since 15 November 2024 as part of efforts to promote a healthier generation.

According to Maldives Customs Service data, the country spends more than MVR 1 billion annually on importing around 500 million cigarettes. The National Health Accounts show that about 9.7 percent of GDP or 19 percent of the national budget is spent on maintaining health services.

Health officials say a tobacco-free generation would help reduce public health expenditure and improve overall wellbeing.

The 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey found that around 45 percent of school-age children in the Maldives use some form of tobacco. The Steps Survey, released four years ago, reported that one in four adults in the country smokes.

Tobacco related non communicable diseases remain the leading cause of illness, disability and death in the Maldives, according to 2022 Health Ministry statistics.