Despite ban, cigarettes still sold near city schools

CHENNAI: Violating the blanket ban on sale of cigarettes in the vicinity of educational institutions, several shops have sprung up in the city marketing the tobacco product near schools.

The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA) prohibits the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products within a radius of 100 yards of educational institutions.

A check conducted by TOI in Purasawalkam, Vepery, Saidapet and T Nagar found shopkeepers making brisk business, selling cigarettes from petty shops near schools.

For instance, consumers made a beeline to a shop situated close to Chennai Middle School at Prakasam Road near the Panagal Park bus stop in T Nagar, where motorists and autorickshaw drivers stopped for a quick smoke.

A few metres away, cigarette covers were found on the table of another shop located near the compound wall of a government aided school on Usman Road.

When asked, the shopkeeper said he did not have any cigarettes for sale at the moment but they would be available later.

On Alagappa Road in Purasawalkam, cigarettes were sold in shops opposite a private matriculation school, while on Narayana Guru Road in Vepery the tobacco product was available at a tea shop. Ironically, the Vepery shop was located near a notice board bearing a no-smoking disclaimer.

Tamil Nadu People’s Forum for Tobacco Control state convenor S Cyril Alexander said the forum had conducted a study from April 15 to May, covering about 33 schools in 15 zones of Greater Chennai Corporation, on the presence of shops selling cigarettes and beedis near schools.

As per the report, the areas around all the schools surveyed showed violations under Section 6 B of COTPA that prohibits sale of tobacco products within 100 yards (91.44m) of educational institutions.

“We had found 12 shops selling tobacco products around a popular private school at Anna Salai,” Alexander said, adding that the presence of such shops gives students easy access to cigarettes. He said teachers were unaware of COTPA rules. “They are under impression that only banned tobacco products like gutka should not be sold within the prohibited area,” he added.

Tobacco Control Cell, functioning under the directorate of public health and preventive medicine, said raids are conducted regularly to stop the sale of cigarettes around schools.

“We have raided 2,800 shops from January to May around schools in Chennai in coordination with the corporation,” a senior official with the Tobacco Control Cell said. Penalties to the tune Rs 2.4 lakh had been collected from these shops for violating COTPA, he added.