Why India must tighten its grip on tobacco

November 8, 2025

When the Maldives announced that, from November 1, 2025, anyone born after January 1, 2007, would never legally buy or use tobacco, the world took notice. The tiny island nation, with just over half a million people, became the first country in history to implement a generational tobacco ban — a bold and visionary step toward creating a smoke-free future.

The legislation, signed earlier this year by President Mohamed Muizzu, prohibits the sale and use of all tobacco products — cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, and even electronic cigarettes — for anyone born after the cutoff date. The ban also extends to visitors, ensuring that no one from the younger generation lights up while in the country. Violators face hefty fines, while retailers are required to strictly verify age before sales.

The law goes beyond just cigarettes. It includes a complete ban on vaping and e-cigarettes across all age groups, an extraordinary move considering how vaping has quietly created a new generation of nicotine addicts worldwide. The Maldives’ health ministry called the law a “historic milestone” that aligns with the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) — a treaty India too has ratified.

What makes the Maldives’ step so remarkable is not its scale, but its courage to act. The country’s leadership has embraced the global Tobacco Endgame vision — a movement aiming not just to control tobacco, but to end it. By targeting future generations, the Maldives is setting the groundwork for a population that will simply never start smoking.

In contrast, many larger nations — including India — have taken only incremental steps, often hampered by industry lobbying, fragmented enforcement, and social acceptance of tobacco. India, with its vast population and strong cultural traditions around smoking and chewing tobacco, faces a far deeper challenge. But that does not mean it cannot — or should not — follow suit.

India is the second-largest consumer and producer of tobacco in the world. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), over 28% of Indian adults — roughly 267 million people — use some form of tobacco. This includes cigarettes, bidis, khaini, gutkha, zarda, and other smokeless products. The damage is staggering: tobacco kills nearly 1.35 million Indians every year, contributing to heart disease, cancer, and respiratory illness.

What’s worse, over 29% of youth aged 13 to 15 report exposure to second-hand smoke in public places. The National Health Portal estimates that the economic cost of tobacco use — through health care and productivity losses — exceeds ₹177,000 crore annually, nearly 1% of India’s GDP.

While India has made progress — through pictorial warnings, bans on advertising, and restrictions on public smoking — the laws remain porous. Cigarette and bidi sales near schools are rampant, “gutkha” continues to be sold illegally, and enforcement often depends on local will.

Vaping, too, poses a new challenge. Despite a national ban on electronic cigarettes since 2019, online sales and smuggling have surged, particularly targeting teenagers. Without stronger regulatory and cultural deterrents, India risks trading one form of addiction for another.

The Maldives’ “tobacco-free generation” (TFG) model provides a roadmap for nations like India. The idea is simple yet transformative: prohibit the sale of tobacco to anyone born after a certain year — not as punishment, but as protection. Over time, the population naturally becomes smoke-free.