CHENNAI: A survey conducted by the Consumer Association of India in association with Consumer Voice (a voluntary organisation that creates consumer awareness), New Delhi, in around 34 schools in Tamil Nadu, found that 36 per cent of shops displayed tobacco products within school children’s reach.
The survey titled ‘Big Tobacco - Tiny Targets’ was conducted in 10 schools each at Pudukottai and Coimbatore and 14 schools in Chennai - totally 34. The investigators of the study found that 32 per cent of shops displayed the tobacco products next to candy, toys and non-tobacco products.
The survey, conducted from November-December last year, found 34 violations of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003. As per the Act, sale of tobacco products around schools within a radius of 100 yards is prohibited, it is brazenly flouted.
The survey found that 73 per cent of sale around schools was made through street vendors, 3 per cent through small grocery shops, 21 per cent through kiosks and 3 per cent through mobile vendors. The products sold are 34 per cent cigarettes, 33 per cent bidis and 22 percent smokeless tobacco products. Also, 88 per cent of tobacco vendors were found selling candy and chips to attract them. “We will push the government to implement vendor licensing system. The vendors who have licenses, should sell only tobacco products and not sell non-tobacco products,” said Nirmala Desikan, Chairman of Consumer Association of India.
She said the survey was conducted in six states by Consumer Voice. In Tamil Nadu, the information was gathered by the observers here and was shared with Consumer Voice through a mobile app and then compiled by the team in Delhi.
Tamil Nadu is the only South Indian state to report a higher prevalence of tobacco usage across different age groups as per Global Audit Tobacco Survey (GATS) 1 and 2.
Tamil Nadu’s tobacco smoking usage rose from 9.6 percent in GATS 1 to 10.5 percent in GATS 2 and smokeless tobacco usage from 8.1 percent in GATS 1 to 10.6 percent in GATS 2, the survey released by the Union Health Ministry showed.