Health associations across the Maldives have launched a unified campaign to ban vaping, intensifying calls for the government to prohibit e-cigarettes as concerns grow over the products’ impact on public health. Several organisations, including the Maldives Medical Association (MMA) and the Nurses Association, have joined the effort, marking a coordinated push to ban vaping and reduce tobacco use in the country.
In a significant development, the MMA became the first organisation to call for a ban on both traditional cigarettes and vapes as part of the campaign. Citing data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the MMA pointed out that 85% of lung cancer cases are caused by direct tobacco smoke, while over eight million people die annually from tobacco-related diseases, including 1.3 million deaths from second-hand smoke.
“Although vapes and e-cigarettes are often promoted as safer alternatives, numerous studies have shown they are harmful to health,” the MMA said in a statement released Wednesday. The association noted that 34 countries, including neighbouring India, have already banned vaping products, arguing that such measures would significantly improve public health in the Maldives.
The following day, the Nurses Association issued a statement echoing calls for a ban on vaping. The association raised alarms about the growing use of e-cigarettes among Maldivian youth, citing the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, which found that 17.1% of children aged 13 to 15 were using e-cigarettes.
“The rise in e-cigarette use among school-aged children is particularly concerning, as it risks creating a new generation of tobacco users,” the Nurses Association stated. The group urged authorities to take immediate and decisive action to protect the younger generation from the harmful effects of vaping.
In response, the Ministry of Education has begun providing schools with information on the dangers of vaping as part of a broader effort to curb its use among students. However, health professionals argue that educational campaigns alone will not be enough without strong regulatory action from the government.
The campaign to ban vaping products was first spearheaded by the NCD Alliance, a coalition of health organisations including the Cancer Society of Maldives, Diabetes Society of Maldives, and Society for Health Education. The alliance had previously advocated for an immediate ban on vapes and e-cigarettes due to their links to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke, which account for 84% of deaths in the Maldives.
Despite this, the NCD Alliance had stopped short of calling for a ban on traditional cigarettes, focusing mainly on vaping as a growing public health concern. However, with the MMA now leading the charge for a broader tobacco ban, the campaign has gained momentum and placed additional pressure on the government to act.
The MMA highlighted the economic burden non-communicable diseases place on the country’s healthcare system, stressing that curbing tobacco use through stricter regulations could lead to long-term cost savings and better public health outcomes.
Public support for the campaign appears to be growing, with many expressing concern about the rise of vaping, particularly among adolescents. Health advocates are now pushing for comprehensive tobacco control measures that go beyond vaping restrictions to address the broader issue of tobacco addiction in the Maldives.
While the government has not yet formally responded to the demands of the campaign, the unification of key health organisations signals a pivotal moment in the Maldives’ public health policy. As pressure mounts from the medical community and beyond, the government is expected to face key decisions on whether to impose a full ban on vaping and cigarettes in the near future.
