President Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the import, use, and trade of vaping devices and their components will be prohibited starting in December. In a post on X, he stated that relevant authorities have been directed to implement all necessary measures to enforce this ban on vaping in the Maldives.
“I have directed the authorities concerned to take all necessary measures to prohibit the use, possession, manufacture, sale, advertising, and free distribution of vaping products in the country, effective from 15 December 2024,” the president wrote in his post.
This decisive move comes as health associations across the Maldives have launched a coordinated campaign advocating for a ban on vaping, intensifying calls for the government to prohibit e-cigarettes due to concerns over their impact on public health. Several organisations, including the Maldives Medical Association (MMA) and the Nurses Association, have united in this effort, highlighting the potential dangers associated with vaping products.
The MMA, which became the first organisation to call for a ban on both traditional cigarettes and vapes, cited data from the World Health Organization (WHO) that links tobacco use to significant health risks. They pointed out that 85% of lung cancer cases are attributed to direct tobacco smoke, and 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 had said. The association noted that 34 countries, including neighbouring India, have already implemented bans on vaping products, arguing that similar measures in the Maldives could significantly improve public health.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the rising use of e-cigarettes among youth. The Nurses Association highlighted findings from the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, which reported that 17.1% of children aged 13 to 15 were using e-cigarettes. They expressed alarm about the potential for creating a new generation of tobacco users and called for immediate action to protect the younger population from the harmful effects of vaping.
The campaign to ban vaping products was initially spearheaded by the NCD Alliance, a coalition of health organisations advocating for comprehensive tobacco control measures. The alliance emphasised that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 84% of deaths in the Maldives, and tobacco use is a leading cause of these diseases.
Meanwhile, the government has also decided to raise the import duty on cigarettes by MVR 2 per cigarette, effective from 1 December. This will increase the duty from the current MVR 3 to MVR 5 per cigarette.