The Cabinet has decided to appoint representatives from every inhabited island to participate in a national campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco and nicotine.
In the first phase of the campaign, at least one association from each atoll, along with several associations from the Male' area, will be involved.
At its meeting, the Cabinet made several important decisions concerning public awareness of the dangers of tobacco and nicotine, the implementation of the generational ban, and other government projects.
During the meeting, a subcommittee reviewing cigarette import duty rates presented updates on its work. Taking the committee’s findings into consideration, the Cabinet decided to incorporate measures related to implementing the generational ban through the school system into the national campaign on the dangers of tobacco and nicotine. It also decided that the Ministry of Health,Family and Welfare should establish a system through which the campaign can be rolled out, in coordination with the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development.
To ensure broad participation by civil society organisations across the Maldives, the Health Ministry will appoint a representative from every inhabited island to participate in the campaign. In the first phase, the Cabinet has decided to involve at least one association from each atoll, as well as several associations from the Male' area.
The Cabinet also decided to expand the national campaign on the dangers of tobacco and nicotine with the participation of youth associations and groups active in sports across the islands. To achieve the goal of having national teams comprise athletes who do not use tobacco, specific targets will also be established to encourage athletes to stay away from tobacco use.