The Maldives has begun enforcing a generational smoking ban that bars anyone born on or after 1 January 2007 from buying, using or being sold tobacco, the health ministry said — making it, the ministry adds, the only country with such a prohibition.

The policy, launched earlier this year at the direction of President Mohamed Muizzu, took effect on 1 November. The health ministry said the aim is to “protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation.”

Under the new rule, people born on or after 1 January 2007 are prohibited from purchasing, using, or being sold tobacco products anywhere in the Maldives. The ban covers all forms of tobacco, and retailers must check age before completing a sale. The rule also applies to visitors to the nation of 1,191 tiny coral islets scattered some 800 km (500 miles) across the equator and known for its luxury tourism.

Separately, the ministry said the Maldives keeps a comprehensive ban on the import, sale, distribution, possession and use of electronic cigarettes and vaping products — a ban that applies to everyone, regardless of age.

Penalties are stiff: selling tobacco to an underage person can draw a fine of 50,000 rufiyaa ($3,200), while using vape devices carries a fine of 5,000 rufiyaa ($320).

Elsewhere, a similar generational ban proposed in the UK is still moving through the legislative process. New Zealand — the first country to introduce such a law — repealed its measure in November 2023, less than a year after it was introduced.