In the Maldives, it is now illegal to buy or smoke any form of tobacco if you were born on or after Jan. 1, 2007.
This smoking ban is the first in the world that applies to an entire generation and future generations.
As The Guardian reported, the prohibition went into effect Nov. 1. The law regulates all forms of tobacco.
The nation's health ministry said that the ban will "protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation."
In addition to this ban, the Maldives had already barred electronic cigarettes and vapes regardless of a person's age. Anyone caught selling tobacco to an underage person risks a fine equivalent to over $3,200. Meanwhile, anyone using a vape device faces a 5,000 rufiyaa ($324) fine.
This news is encouraging because it takes smoking bans to the next level for the sake of public health and the planet. Other governments worldwide have been implementing their own bans.
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Tobacco bans have been successful elsewhere, including in Denver, and vape restrictions have taken hold in New York, Texas, and the United Kingdom. Lawmakers in the U.K. and New Zealand are considering generational bans similar to the one in the Maldives.
Any form of vape ban should benefit public health and the environment. Disposable vapes contain harmful substances that are linked to various health concerns, including lung injuries among young people.
Also, around five million disposable vapes are thrown in the trash every week, which significantly contributes to the world's growing e-waste problem. Discarded vapes can leach chemicals into the environment, and their lithium-ion batteries pose fire hazards in trash receptacles and landfills.
By implementing and supporting vape bans, we can help promote healthier lifestyles and prevent environmental harm.
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Do you think cigarettes should be illegal? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Yes 👍 "People don't come to the Maldives because they're able to smoke," Ahmed Afaal of the tobacco control board said. "They come for the beaches, they come for the sea, they come for the sun, and they come for the fresh air."
"As a smoker, I think this is GREAT," one Facebook user commented on an NBC News post about the ban.
"I would honestly be ok if they just stopped making tobacco products altogether, and I don't mean that in a way that infringes on our rights, just that it would be so much easier for me to quit if it wasn't there to buy," someone else wrote.
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