"The new legislation is intended to come into force on November 1, 2025," says President Mohamed Muizzu's office in a statement after a government meeting on Sunday.
The penalty that can be imposed for violating the new law has not been announced.
In November, the Maldives raised the legal age for smoking from 18 to 21 years and banned the import of e-cigarettes and vape pens, which also applies to tourists.
New Zealand was the first country to adopt a similar law against smoking, but repealed it in 2023 - even before it came into force. The reason was, according to the then newly sworn-in Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, concerns that cigarette sales would instead shift to the black market.
A similar law has been proposed in the United Kingdom.
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