Cigarette vends near schools selling paper rolls or ‘rizla’

Prateek Chauhan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 18

In spite of the state and Central governments’ order not to sell tobacco products within 100 mt of school, college and hospital premises, most of the cigarette vends are found violating the orders.

These days it is just not the cigarettes, but stuff like paper rolls and 'rizla' paper (for drugs) are being sold almost in all the shops close to schools, colleges and hospitals. Shockingly, schoolchildren are more attracted to paper rolls, said a vendor.

Another vendor near PVR cinema which is close to three government and two private-owned schools said, “Most of my customers are schoolchildren, both girls and boys in equal numbers, and selling of paper rolls or rizla is more profitable than cigarettes or tobacco.”

According to one of the private school officials in South Delhi, “If someone is selling or using tobacco products outside the school premises, it is very difficult for us to monitor such activities. The responsibility should be fixed on the civic body and the police, who should be accountable for such activities outside the school premises.”

It is to be noted that according to the Global Adult Tobacoo Survey (GATS), children between age group 13 and 18 are found to be smoking more compared to other age groups and the number of girl smokers has drastically increased.

Amazingly, after tall claims by the Delhi Police and the government to stop such practice and punish the violators, in the past few years, despite strict orders of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), no authority has arrested anyone nor penalised any cigarette vendor till date.

While parents are concerned, managements say their hands are tied. A teacher of one such school said all they can do is ask the shopkeepers not to sell cigarettes and prevent people from smoking outside.

But this is no assurance to parents. A parent, Munish Rana, a resident of South Delhi, said, “Not only these shops sell tobacco, but very often we find people smoking nearby, which has a harmful influence on the children. And it’s not just cigarettes, but they are also selling paper rolls.”

Though officials of the Health Department admitted that implementation of the ban has not been up to the mark, they added that they rely on the police to ensure a crackdown on such shops.

According to a senior Delhi Police officer, “These days school and college students are prone to drugs and to fight the menace parents, teachers and the police should work together. We have been having programmes for students to make them aware of the impact of tobacco products and drugs. But banning the cigarette shops near schools, colleges and hospitals should be the job of the government.”

And for which law has been amended in the Juvenile Justice Act which demands stricter penalty for those selling tobacco products to minors, and invites a jail term of seven years and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh. This is a part of the provisions of Clause 77 and 78 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, cleared by Parliament.