A new, five‑year national drive to slash tobacco consumption was unveiled on 31 May at a joint press conference held at the President’s Office.
The initiative was announced by Minister of Health, Family and Welfare, Geela Ali, who was joined by three ministers involved in the campaign.
Minister Geela highlighted the government’s recent achievements in tobacco control, noting that a generational ban—prohibiting the sale and use of tobacco products to anyone born after 2007—came into force on 1 November 2025, and that a blanket ban on electronic cigarettes has already been implemented. She also pointed to higher import duties on tobacco, the raise of the minimum age for tobacco sales to 21, and the requirement that all tobacco packaging carry graphic health warnings.
“These measures are the foundation,” she said, adding that a sustained, holistic campaign is essential to achieve lasting reductions in smoking rates.”
The new campaign, set to run through for the next five years, will combine public‑awareness drives with incentives and concessions aimed at encouraging smokers to quit.
“Smoking cannot be tackled in a short period. Participation of the government, the private sector and the public will be crucial to success,” she added.
The Minister of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development, Dr Ismail Shafeeu, outlined a school‑focused component.
“All schools will deliver structured lessons on the dangers of tobacco—both health‑ and‑economic harms—to students and their families,” he said, adding that the goal is to make the Maldives a fully informed nation about the dangers of tobacco use.
During the briefing, Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Fitness, Abdulla Rafiu outlined a series of youth‑centric actions. The plan includes appointing anti‑tobacco ambassadors, staging advocacy programmes, disseminating information through atoll youth networks, and mobilising community events to save the country from the tobacco epidemic.