On Monday, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and Male' City Council talked about the potential of creating specific smoking kiosks in the capital.

Deputy Mayor Meekail Mohamed Riyaz and HPA representatives convened to discuss the setup of designated kiosks for smokers in specific locations of Male'. A number of councilors were present at the meeting.

In a message on X, the council stated that the aim of launching smoking kiosks is to decrease smoking in public areas and foster a cleaner, healthier atmosphere in the city.

HPA was unavailable for a statement.

The council has made a recent decision to collaborate with appropriate authorities to reduce smoking in public areas. The proposal was presented by Councilor Fathimath Zahiyya from Hulhumale' North Constituency.

Deputy @MekhaelMohamed Mohamed, together with Health Committee members, convened with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to talk about setting up designated smoking kiosks in various locations around Male’ City.

Zahiyya mentioned that she keeps getting complaints from families and parents who encounter challenges when individuals smoke close to them in parks and various public areas. She pointed out that secondhand smoke presents health dangers to children.

Although smoking is banned in many places, individuals persist in smoking publicly, and officials have not intervened.

The government has recently lowered the tobacco product duty to four percent after it was raised to eight percent.

Starting in 2007, the government implemented a “generational ban” designed to prevent tobacco consumption among children born from a certain year onward.