World Health Organization WHO has welcomed the stringent measures announced by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to ban vaping.
Earlier this week, the President stated that he had instructed the relevant authorities to initiate the necessary actions to prohibit the import of vaporizer devices, accessories, and parts starting November 15, 2024.
Additionally, from December 15, 2024, the ban will include the possession, use, manufacturing, sale, promotion, and free distribution of vaporizer devices nationwide.
In a post on X, WHO South-East Asia congratulated the Maldives for announcing a ban on vaping.
It said that this was an important initiative to arrest the worrying trend of an increase in vaping, especially among young adolescents.
WHO said as per the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 23.1 percent of boys and 10.7 percent of girls in the age group of 13 to 15 years had used e-cigarettes in Maldives.
It further stated 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 WHO South-East Asia Region is particularly worrying.
WHO added 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.
