President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has launched a historic public poll on X  to solicit opinions on a proposed generational smoking ban in the Maldives.

This initiative is the first time a Maldivian President has directly engaged with the public through a social media poll on a national policy matter, setting a notable precedent for public participation in governance. The poll, which commenced on 3 April 2025, will remain open for a further four days.

Among the options under consideration, as of now the most favoured proposal is to prohibit smoking for individuals born on or after 1 January 2000, followed by the 1 January 2007 restriction. Meanwhile, the 1 January 2004 cutoff has garnered the least support. 

President Dr Muizzu’s proposal for a generational tobacco ban is part of a broader initiative to reduce smoking rates and prevent nicotine addiction among young people before it takes hold. 

This matter was a topic of discussion in the second episode of Rayyithunnaa Eku, a podcast dedicated to national issues and civic engagement. During the episode, the President underscored the urgency of tackling youth smoking and announced that Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim has been entrusted with drafting a Cabinet paper on the subject. Furthermore, he emphasised the necessity of engaging medical professionals and stakeholders to ensure that the proposed policy is both well-structured and effective.

The Government is currently deliberating over three possible implementation dates for the ban, each targeting different birth cohorts:

President Dr Muizzu highlighted that young adults aged between 18 and 25 are particularly susceptible to developing long-term smoking habits. By restricting access to tobacco, the policy aspires to disrupt this cycle and pave the way towards a smoke-free future for the Maldives.