'Important initiative': WHO welcomes Maldives’ vape ban

The World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed the decision by the Maldives to ban the use, import and sale of vaping devices.

The decision was announced by Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Monday. It came after the Maldivian Medical Association and other groups voiced concern about the increase in non-communicable diseases in the Maldives due to the use of tobacco products.

In a post on X on Tuesday evening, the WHO South East Asia congratulated the Maldives for announcing the ban on vaping.

“An important initiative to arrest the worrying trend of increase in vaping, specially among young adolescents,” it said.

The WHO noted that a 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, showed that 23.1 percent boys and 10.7 percent girls in the age group of 13 to 15 years had used e-cigarettes in Maldives.

It said that the growing use of novel and emerging nicotine and tobacco products (NENTPs) such as electronic cigarettes or the electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS), heated tobacco products (HTPs) and nicotine pouches (NPs), particularly among youth across the South East Asia region is particularly worrying.

“All forms of tobacco use are harmful and a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic lung diseases and diabetes,” it added.

Globally, only 37 countries have banned vaping.

But the WHO noted that the South East Asian region is leading in tobacco control initiatives.

The Maldives joins Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste and North Korea in banning vaping.

The WHO said that it continues to advocate with member states for stringent measures against all forms of tobacco.

Maldives is set to ban the import of devices used for vaping along with spare parts of such devices starting November 15. Meanwhile, the use, possession, production, sale and advertisement of devices used for vaping will be banned starting December 15.

President Muizzu has also announced plans to increase the specific rate of import duty for cigarettes and beedi from MVR 3 to MVR 8, and the ad valorem tax on the products by 50 percent, starting November 1.

The government is set to submit legislature needed to make the changes within this week.

President Muizzu also announced that special measures will be taken to boost the role of law enforcement agencies in preventing smoking in public spaces, along with a large-scale national campaign to help people quit smoking.

“I ask for everyone’s cooperation and assistance to make Maldives tobacco free,” he said, in a post on X announcing the doubling of taxes.