The world-first ban prohibits anyone born after Jan. 1, 2007, from ever buying, using or smoking tobacco.

The world-first ban prohibits anyone born after Jan. 1, 2007, from ever buying, using or smoking tobacco.

The Maldives has become the first country in the world to impose a generational smoking ban, barring anyone born after Jan. 1, 2007, from ever smoking, purchasing or using tobacco.

“The ban applies to all forms of tobacco, and retailers are required to verify age prior to sale,” the health ministry said Saturday as the ban came into effect.

The step “makes the Maldives the first country in the world to enforce a nationwide generational tobacco ban,” it added.

    • NotSteve_@piefed.caEnglish
      241·
      1 day ago

      Ah makes sense. I think the heart is in the right place for these sorts of bans but prohibition just doesn’t work. Tobacco usage is already way down since the 50s and that’s been because of education, not prohibition. Banning it just makes it seem cool again

      • AugustWest@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        1 day ago

        Yes, it won’t work. But tobacco use in the Maldives has apparently not followed the trend of the rest of the world since the 50s. From the article:

        Smoking is especially prevalent among young people, with nearly half of those ages 13 to 15 consuming some form of tobacco.

        Half is insane.

        • Scubus@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          2·
          17 hours ago

          So there is clearly a driving factor behind that, it would seem more beneficial to address that instead of a blanket ban that is guaranteed to make things worse. Wonder why smoking is so prevalant there?

          Edit: dodnt get a clear answer on why, but it seems smoking is deeply embedded in their culture. 43% of men aged 15 or older smoke, while its only 4% of women in the same group smoke. Theyve also been trying to put an end to smoking for almost a decade now, not sure how much it has helped as i just cant find much info on them.

      • SupraMario@lemmy.worldEnglish
        82·
        1 day ago

        Yep, smoking is down because of it being a taboo thing now. You make it illegal…and you got another drug war on your hands.

        Prohibition will never work.

    • SirActionSack@aussie.zoneEnglish
      3·
      22 hours ago

      Removed by the conservative government because they needed revenue to pay for their tax cuts for millionaires.

    • meathorse@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      23 hours ago

      Yup, our shit-stain conservative govt rolled back one of the most popular policies in decades against the public desire, with legislation practically copied n pasted from tobacco industry lobbyists