Kiosks still sell tobacco outside schools

Despite the administration’s repeated crackdown, guidelines under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) are being flouted with impunity in the holy city. Cigarettes and tobacco products are being sold near educational institutions, even as norms say these products cannot be sold within 100 yards of an educational institution.

During a visit to different parts of the city, The Tribune team found that the on ground there was no check on the sale of tobacco products or operations of shops selling such items, especially around educational institutions. Those selling tobacco products near schools and colleges can be punished under the COPTA.

The Hindu Collegiate Senior Secondary School has a pan shop in its vicinity, where a vendor sells tobacco and cigarettes with much ease as anywhere else. One can see a shop selling pan masala and other tobacco products a few metres from BBK DAV College.

Several shops sell cigarettes and other tobacco products on the sly by hanging packets of ‘bhujia’ and ‘namkeen’ in the front to hoodwink the authorities.

In the Pawan Nagar area, a shopkeeper was found selling tobacco products near a government elementary school. Residents said shopkeepers displayed tobacco products outside their shops in the evening to attract customers.

Similarly, the sale of tobacco products is also going on unchecked at a kiosk near the Government Medical College. At several places, shops and kiosks can be seen selling tobacco products 100 yards away from educational institutions.

Last year, the administration, along with district health officials, had inspected various kiosks outside schools and colleges. But these shops have popped up once again.

Recently, a controversy erupted after a nihang Sikh barged into the IIM-Amritsar campus, which is situated inside the Government Polytechnic, and warned students against smoking outside the institute. A video of the incident went viral on social media. The nihang had allegedly threatened to chop hands of students who will be seen smoking.

According to the World Health Organisation, use of tobacco products causes many chronic diseases in India. Its use accounts for 1.35 million deaths every year. According to the Global Adult Tobacco survey, 29 per cent adults in the country consumed tobacco in one form or the other in 2016-17. The number of tobacco users in Punjab is also rising, as per the survey.

Amritsar was accorded a 'smoke-free city' status in 2012. Several NGOs at the time had worked to campaign against shops selling tobacco products around or near educational institutions. As part of the initiative, all the government departments were given challan books to penalise violators at public places. Other than the Health Department and the Police Department, no other government office joined the cause.