President: Many have quit smoking as a result of govt’s measures

The tobacco-control measures implemented by the administration is producing positive results and has seen many quit smoking, says President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

President Muizzu, who is on a tour of Lh. Atoll, made these remarks while addressing a rally on Monday night in Naifaru.

It came after Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim, earlier on Monday, warned that while well-intended, the government’s tobacco-control measures have led to rampant growth of smuggling of cigarettes and vapes.

President Muizzu’s administration has implemented a number of tobacco-control measures, including imposing a ban on vapes and e-cigarettes, doubling import duty and value-added tax on cigarettes, and a general ban on smoking – the latter of which will take effect on Saturday, prohibiting all Maldivian citizens born on and after 2007 from smoking.

Speaking at Monday night’s rally, President Muizzu defended these measures, stressing the link between smoking and non-communicable diseases such as cancer.

“I believe this is the most important preventive healthcare program we can run,” said President Muizzu, referring to the generational ban. “It is a well-established fact backed by the WHO, healthcare experts, and anyone with the least bit of education or knowledge in this field that smoking leads to various non-communicable diseases.”

President Muizzu said that he hopes to build a healthy society.

He also condemned the smuggling of cigarettes and vapes into the Maldives.

“Therefore, no one should smuggle smoking devices into the Maldives or engage in the habit of smoking. I appeal to all beloved citizens to refrain from this, stay away from this scourge,” he said.

President Muizzu said that many people have quit the habit of smoking, and he has been seeing the positive impact it is having on the society.

“We all know how the stench of cigarettes is no longer there in mosques, from when we used to smell it when people come in after having a smoke outside the mosque,” he said.

Speaking on the ban on vapes, President Muizzu said that vapes are a gateway to drugs, and that the people support the decision.

He added that improving healthcare will be the primary focus of next year’s budget.

The ban on vapes and the subsequent doubling of import duty on cigarettes has created an illegal market where cheaper brands are being smuggled in and sold. This has resulted in the loss of millions of Rufiya in import revenue.