Authorities have seized over 26,000 vape products amid the nationwide ban on electronic smoking devices, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu revealed Saturday.
Maldives has banned the importation of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), vaping devices, and complementary products to the Maldives effective 15 November 2024.
The Administration has also moved a legislative amendment, aiming to prohibit tobacco use for all citizens born on or after 1 January 2007, as the Maldives is set to become the first country to enforce a generational ban on smoking.
Speaking during a press conference on Saturday, President Dr Muizzu revealed that 14.5 million cigarettes that had been smuggled into the country have been seized so far under the current law. The proposed new legislative amendment to enforce the generational ban will strengthen the seizure of tobacco products such as cigarettes and vape products, he added.
“We have seized 26,000 vapes or vape products so far through the law or its implementation. And 14.5 million cigarettes have been seized since the law came into force,” the President said.
Approximately 30 percent of the current population falls within this age group, a demographic significance that the government had highlighted as central to the generational ban. The rationale for the ban is firmly rooted in public health concerns, with the potential to significantly improve national well-being by preventing a substantial portion of the population from adopting tobacco use.
President Dr Muizzu articulated a vision of a healthier, more productive society, asserting that shielding young people from tobacco would foster a robust generation dedicated to national service.