The Maldives, world-renowned for its turquoise waters and luxury resorts, is taking a bold step that could backfire dramatically: a generational ban on tobacco. Parliament has overwhelmingly approved legislation prohibiting the sale, purchase, and use of tobacco products for anyone born on or after January 1, 2007. If ratified by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the law will come into force on November 1, 2025.
On paper, this seems like a health-conscious, progressive move. In reality, it risks dragging the island nation into an economic and social underworld dominated by smuggling, corruption, and organized crime — with tourism and public safety caught in the crossfire.
A Ban Too Far?
Tobacco is undeniably harmful. But prohibition — especially targeted, generational prohibition — rarely produces the intended outcomes. Instead, it often creates a two-tier society: one where adults born before a certain date can legally smoke, and younger generations are criminalized for the same act. It’s an arbitrary legal line that breeds resentment and creates fertile ground for black market exploitation.
The Maldives is already a tightly controlled society when it comes to nicotine. Vaping, often seen elsewhere as a harm-reduction tool, is already banned. With the coming generational ban on tobacco, the country risks removing all legal access to nicotine products for a growing portion of the population — without offering safer, legal alternatives.
Black Market Goldmine
Where there is demand, supply will follow — legal or not. With one-third of the population already falling under the new restriction, an illegal tobacco market is not just likely; it’s inevitable. And in a tourism-dependent country spread across hundreds of islands, enforcing this ban will be a logistical nightmare.
The Maldives’ vast, porous maritime borders offer an ideal environment for smuggling. Cigarettes and vapes — already banned — are small, high-margin, and easy to transport. Once prohibition kicks in, criminal networks could quickly fill the void, using the Maldives as a hub for regional distribution.
And with prohibition comes more than smuggling. Organized crime thrives in the shadows of banned commodities. Where tobacco goes underground, corruption, money laundering, and even violence often follow.
Impact on Tourism
Tourism is the economic backbone of the Maldives. Anything that introduces instability or reputational risk is a threat. A flourishing black market, driven by organized crime and enforcement crackdowns, doesn’t exactly match the postcard image of serene beaches and crystal lagoons. Tourists don’t want to vacation in a place making international headlines for criminal turf wars or widespread contraband raids.
Moreover, visitors from around the world — including smokers — contribute significantly to the tourism economy. A hyper-restrictive nicotine policy may be perceived as unwelcoming or overly moralistic, particularly when combined with existing vape bans.
Lessons from History
We’ve been here before. The U.S. alcohol prohibition in the 1920s led to the rise of organized crime empires. More recently, overly strict drug laws in various countries have fueled black markets while failing to curb usage. The Maldives would do well to study these cautionary tales.
Effective public health policy doesn’t rely on hard bans. It encourages education, harm reduction, and support systems. If the goal is to reduce smoking rates, there are more balanced and evidence-based ways to achieve that — ones that don’t risk turning paradise into a battleground for contraband.
A Better Path Forward
Instead of outright generational prohibition, the Maldives should invest in robust youth education, better cessation support, and harm-reduction options — including regulated vaping products. Smart approaches, rather than prohibition, has shown more promise in reducing long-term addiction rates while avoiding criminal enterprise escalation.
In trying to protect future generations, the Maldives may be setting them up for a darker reality — one where cigarettes still circulate, but only through the hands of those who profit most from illegality.
Let’s not turn a tropical dream into a prohibition-era nightmare.
