Overview
- Effective November 1, anyone born on or after January 1, 2007, is barred from buying, using, or selling tobacco nationwide, according to the health ministry.
- The prohibition covers all forms of tobacco and applies to visitors, with retailers required to verify customers’ ages before any sale.
- Penalties include a 50,000 rufiyaa fine for selling tobacco to prohibited persons and a 5,000 rufiyaa fine for using vape devices.
- The measure was enacted through a Second Amendment to the Tobacco Control Act and follows a 2024 ban on e‑cigarettes and vapes for all ages.
- Officials cite high domestic tobacco use and WHO data on millions of annual deaths, while noting New Zealand’s rollback of a similar law and ongoing UK legislation.