President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu says his cabinet will decide on the generational smoking ban he has promised to implement in the Maldives.
Speaking on a short video clip ahead of his meeting with the cabinet, President Muizzu said, according to Maldives Health Statistics Services 2022, that the main reason for the spread of noncommunicable diseases and the most considerable risk of becoming disabled is smoking.
He also said that fatality records show that 83 percent of illness-related deaths in the Maldives are due to noncommunicable diseases caused by smoking.
The President also mentioned that a 2021 survey showed that 21.8 percent of the youths between the ages of 15 and 25 are smokers.
President Muizzu said that the whole country needs to work together to save the youth of the country from falling victim to noncommunicable diseases caused by smoking, such as cancer and heart disease.
He noted that the generational ban on smoking would play a key role in the preventive measures against smoking. The President pointed out the social media survey which posed the question on the age limit for the ban and that officials have met with stakeholders and NGOs relevant to the issue, including WHO and UNICEF.
The President ended his message by saying that his cabinet will take all the information collected on the matter and make a decision on the generational ban on smoking in order to preserve the health and well-being of the current and future generations.
