President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has hinted at a potential cigarette ban.

During his ongoing tour of some islands of Raa atoll, the president met with the community of Ungoofaaru island.

Speaking to the island community the president said that the vape ban was not implemented to benefit any particular group, and that the government is focused on delivering healthcare services while also shifting towards preventive measures to protect against diseases before they arise.

The president went on to encourage the citizens to rise up in the spirit of their island and work towards making their island free from the plague of tobacco.

The president said that vapes were banned to save a generation and for the future ahead, especially because of the rapid rate at which it was taking root among the younger generation, which would have become uncontrollable if it had continued at that pace.

The president said that he does not think it is possible to ban two things at once in the same way. Therefore, as this is something that needs to be done one after the other, he said that the decision – to ban vapes but not cigarettes – was made for that reason.

The president said that he is aware that the people are very much accustomed to using tobacco, and that the government has given high priority to establishing Tobacco Cessation Clinics in health centers on every island at an island level to provide ways to cut off tobacco use.

The president said that preventive healthcare is the top priority, and that defending against things that cause illness before getting sick is something that needs to be done. He said that the biggest issues surface from tobacco use, and that the government has increased the prices of tobacco products in a bid to encourage letting go of these habits.

The president went on to highlight that this was his intention.