Maldives moves to enforce vaping ban

The Maldives' ban on vaping will lead to a reduced rate of nicotine addiction among the youth, while raising the smoking legal age and hiking taxes on e-cigarettes will discourage their use, which experts say, will benefit the nation in the long run.

The Maldivian government enforced a nationwide ban on the use and sale of vaping devices earlier this month, reported the state-run Public Service Media. The clampdown follows amendments to the Tobacco Control Act signed into law by President Mohamed Muizzu on Nov 13.

As per the amendments, sales, free distribution, and use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices have become illegal from Dec 15 this year. The media reports said anyone or any organization importing vaping devices into the Maldives after the ban takes effect would face a fine of 50,000 Maldivian rufiyaa (about $3,250).

Ahmed Afaal, managing director of ADK Hospitals and vice-chair of the Tobacco Control Board of the Maldives, termed the ban a positive move.

He said the new regulation has been enforced as people have put an effort into it, along with a political will from the top, keeping the momentum alive.

To enforce the ban, the National Tobacco Control Law has introduced other steps such as raising the legal age for smoking from 18 to 21, besides a tax hike on other tobacco products.

"Definitely, there'll be long-term benefits for the Maldives, especially, for its health system, as well as spending on public health," Afaal said.

The move against vaping has been on the agenda for a while, said Afaal — an expert on the policy and advocate of the Anti-Tobacco bill. The Tobacco Control Board had initially proposed the ban in 2019 and it was approved by the cabinet.

There had also been pressure on the Maldivian government to act, especially from parents, as children as young as 8 years old were seen using vaping devices, he noted.

Adeel Shareef, director of strategy and innovation at ADK Hospitals, said he hopes to see less initiation of nicotine products and illicit drug use among the youth.

"With a significant portion of the country's population aged 18 to 35 — about half of the total — vaping's appeal is only expected to grow in the absence of intervention," Shareef said.

Judith Mackay, director of Hong Kong-based Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control, called the Maldivian government's decision a positive step in prohibiting vaping.

"It's a welcome step forward in public health. The Maldives is not alone as some 40 nations and regions have banned e-cigarettes, and 100 more jurisdictions have introduced tough regulations against vaping," she said.

Vaping products contain hundreds of chemicals, with some of them unknown. "They have many harmful effects, for instance, e-cigarettes exploding and causing burns on users", Mackay said.

Another worry is that allowing these trendy products in the market would have a big appeal among young people, and there's a "gateway effect", Mackay said. In other words, young people taking up vaping have, at least, a three times higher chance of smoking ordinary combustible cigarettes.

Dicky Budiman, a scholar with Australia's Griffith University and Indonesia's YARSI University, said the ban reflects a precautionary principle taken to prevent a new wave of nicotine addiction, especially among the young population. "The Maldives' decision to ban vaping arose from public health concerns," he said.

For the policy to succeed, Budiman called for robust enforcement to deter illicit trade, the provision of an accessible smoking cessation program, and public education on the risks associated with vaping.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com