Health Ministry Consults WHO and UNICEF on "Generation Ban" to Combat Youth Tobacco Use

The Ministry of Health has held productive discussions with officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF regarding the implementation of the "Generation Ban," an initiative aimed at preventing tobacco use among future generations in the Maldives.

During the meeting, experts from both organizations provided valuable insights and recommendations on the key issues that must be addressed to ensure the successful enforcement of the generational tobacco ban. The ban, initially proposed by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, targets the prohibition of tobacco use for individuals born after a specific year to protect the youth from starting tobacco consumption.

In his announcement, made during the first episode of the "With the People" podcast on the 27th of last month, President Muizzu presented several options for the year cutoff to apply the ban. The proposed options include:

Ban tobacco use for all individuals born on or after January 1, 2007

Ban tobacco use for all individuals born on or after January 1, 2004

Ban tobacco use for all individuals born on or after January 1, 2000

The rationale behind these options is to prevent tobacco addiction from taking root in young people, especially those aged between 18 and 25 years, before it becomes deeply ingrained. The President also engaged the public through a poll on his official "X" account to gather opinions on the most effective option.