No check on tobacco products sold in vicinity of schools, colleges in Amritsar city

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, July 19

The guidelines of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) are being flouted with impunity in the holy city. Cigarettes and tobacco products are being sold openly near educational institutions.

As per norms, cigarettes and other tobacco products cannot be sold within 100-yard periphery of an educational institution. During a visit to different parts of the city it was found that the ground realities were far from reality.

The Health Department has challaned shopkeepers violating the COPTA norms. The help of the police has also been taken when health teams have found violations. Stringent law is required to deal with flouting of the norms. At the best, we can relocate traders who sell tobacco products in violation of the rules. —Dr Sumit Singh, Civil Surgeon

The rules are being flouted openly while the authorities have turned a blind eye towards violation of the COTPA. Violators selling tobacco products near schools and colleges can be punished under the COPTA.

A pan shop near Hindu Sabha College in the walled city area is glaring example of the flouting of the rules.

At many places, strings of packets of “bhujia” and “namkeen” are hanged at shops in order to hoodwink the authorities while shopkeepers sell cigarettes and tobacco products.

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 shop in the evening to attract customers.

Similarly, tobacco products were being sold at a kiosk near the Government Medical College. At several places shops and kiosks outside the 100-yard periphery of educational institutes sell tobacco products.

Recently, a controversy had erupted after a Nihang Sikh barged into the IIM located on the campus of the government polytechnic and warned students against smoking outside the institute premises. A video of the incident had gone viral on social media. The Nihang had threatened to chop hands of students who were seen smoking outside the IIM campus. The Nihang was arrested by the police.

The city has seen a spurt in incidents in which Nihangs destroyed kiosks of migrants selling cigarettes and tobacco produced in the walled city area.

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 Global Adult Tobacco Survey in India, 29 per cent of adults consumed tobacco in one form of other during the year 2016-17. The number of tobacco users in Punjab was also rising as per survey.