HPA: Age of person buying cigarettes to be confirmed every time under generational ban

Health Protection Agency (HPA)’s Deputy Director General Hassan Mohamed states the age of a person buying cigarettes and other tobacco products will be confirmed when implementing the generational smoking ban in the Maldives.

The cabinet resolved to implement a generational tobacco ban, prohibiting the sale, purchase, and use of tobacco products for individuals born on or after January 1, 2007, on Sunday.

The cabinet decision specified the allocation of six months for enforcement authorities to revise existing regulations following the amendment and ratification of the law. The new legislation is set to come into force on November 01, 2025.

The generational ban prohibits a specific age group from smoking. People in that group will not be allowed to smoke or buy tobacco products for as long as the ban remains in place, regardless of how old they become.

Speaking on the topic during Sun’s ‘Editaruge Suvaalu’ program, HPA’s Deputy Director General Hassan said laws already mandate confirming the age of the person buying tobacco products. In this regard, he detailed that tobacco products already cannot be purchased while concealing the identity or the age of the buyer.

“Online sale is banned. Such items cannot be purchased by a call, via vending machines or a delivery service,” he said.

Nevertheless, he stressed this was not enforced at present, adding the seller presently exercises discretion to sell cigarettes by estimating the age of the buyer by assessing their physique.

“With this new change, a person of an elder age might belong to that generation [the age group where the generational ban is imposed]. Thus, the only difference that will come is checking the age of the buyer when selling tobacco products every single time,” he explained.

Hassan said he does not believe an additional expense will be incurred to implement these measures. In this regard, he stressed the importance of the cooperation of individuals selling tobacco products in complying with the laws and regulations. 

Speaking further, Hassan explained that generational is something which cannot be implemented on its own – but alongside all laws and regulations related to smoking.

“The generational ban should come after achieving success to extent in special measures implemented as basic efforts to control use of tobacco,” he said.

Despite his belief that Maldives has not achieved success to this extent, Hassan said Maldives was at that stage by the standards of world organizations based on legal reforms and policies that have been implemented.

He stressed that the generational ban would sideline other efforts being made to control tobacco use. 

The current administration launched a campaign against smoking last year, introducing a ban on vapes and e-cigarettes, and doubling import duty and taxes on cigarettes.

Moreover, Health Ministry, on Thursday, announced that individuals who sell tobacco products can only do so with a special license that must be obtained within three months.