Maldives Risks Repeating Failures
Regional experts are warning politicians in the Maldives that their smoking ban risks repeating past failures by adopting a generational ban similar to the one about to be implemented in the UK
-
by Dave Cross
Share on:
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has issued a measured response to the Maldives’ proposed rolling generational smoking ban, recognising its public health intent but warning that prohibition without the promotion of harm reduction products like vapes will likely repeat the mistakes of past tobacco control efforts.
The bill, submitted to Parliament on 29 April 2025, would prohibit tobacco sales to anyone born on or after 1 January 2007, making it the first generational smoking ban in the Asia-Pacific region. While CAPHRA acknowledges the ambition behind the move, the organisation cautions that such prohibition, without offering safer alternatives such as vaping products, risks driving tobacco use underground and failing to reduce smoking rates.
Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA, said: “The Maldives’ proposal shows a willingness to try new approaches, but history tells us prohibition alone does not work. When safer alternatives like vaping are banned, as in the Maldives since 2024, smokers are left with few options and illicit markets thrive. We have seen similar outcomes in Australia and Denmark, where bans failed to reduce harm and instead fuelled black markets.”
CAPHRA points to New Zealand’s abandoned generational ban and Malaysia’s stalled proposals as evidence that such policies often create more problems than they solve. The Maldives’ own data shows a 38% increase in illicit tobacco trade since recent bans and tax hikes, while youth smoking remains high. Public support for the ban is also questionable, with a government poll indicating many Maldivians preferred a different age threshold.
Loucas added: “If the Maldives is serious about reducing smoking, it must look beyond age-based bans. Evidence from the UK and New Zealand demonstrates that regulated access to safer nicotine products, combined with education and support, delivers real progress. Prohibition without harm reduction simply pushes people toward unregulated and unsafe options.”
“CAPHRA urges the Maldivian government to engage with consumer advocates and public health experts to develop a more balanced approach. “We are ready to support reforms that are based on evidence, not ideology. The goal should be to protect youth and help adults quit smoking, not to repeat the failures of the past.”
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates is a regional alliance of consumer tobacco harm reduction advocacy organisations.
The organisation says: “CAPHRA is not related to or funded by any commercial interests. It is composed of volunteer consumer advocates from the Asia Pacific Region. We hope putting forward this information would clarify any doubt as to our interests and intentions.
“CAPHRA stays committed to its mission to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use.
“We advocate for the rights of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region to access and use evidence-based, regulated, and properly marketed harm reduction products as a means of reducing the devastating impact of smoking-related diseases.”
References:
- Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates - https://caphraorg.net/
Photo Credit:
Photo by Colin Watts on Unsplash, resized and cropped
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
