WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The Maldives has become the first country in the world to ban tobacco use for an entire generation, after a new law took effect Saturday.

Under the rule, anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2007, is permanently banned from buying, using or being sold cigarettes or any other tobacco products in the country, the Maldives Health Ministry announced.

That means that anyone who's 18 or younger today will never be able to legally smoke in the nation, even as they age.

The law is meant to "protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation," the ministry explained.

The ban applies to both residents and tourists visiting the Maldives, a nation of nearly 1,200 small coral islands within the Indian Ocean.

Retailers must verify a person's age before selling tobacco and selling to someone who is under the age cutoff can lead to a 50,000 rufiyaa (about $3,200) fine, CBS News reported.

What's more, the country already has a full ban on the import, sale and use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices for people of all ages.

Anyone caught using a vape can be fined 5,000 rufiyaa (about $320).

Only one other country — New Zealand — has attempted a similar generational smoking ban. It was repealed in 2023.

The United Kingdom also considered a version of the law, according to CBS News.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on smoking and tobacco use.

SOURCE: CBS News, Nov. 4, 2025