TIRUCHY: Despite enforcement drives, the illegal sale of tobacco products, particularly cigarettes, in close proximity of educational institutions continues unabated in the city. The easy availability, in turn, is driving addiction among the youth, say students and activists, who call for measures like continuous surveillance, regular raids and suspension of shop licence to bring about “a real impact”.
Following a petition submitted by a group of students of the Thanthai Periyar Government Arts and Science College at the district collector's camp office on Monday, teams jointly comprising of officials from the city corporation, city police and the food safety department the same day held searches at shops operating near educational institutions in Khajamalai and Race Course Road. The localities house several schools and colleges.
"We seized cigarettes worth Rs 5,000 from more than three shops, both within and beyond the 100-yard limits,” a corporation official said. The tobacco product was easily available in tea stalls and petty shops, the official added. If banned tobacco products are found at a shop, as per SOP, we close it down immediately. But in these cases, only cigarettes were sold, whose seizure falls under the jurisdiction of the local body, said a food safety officer part of the search. A ground visit by TNIE on Wednesday, however, revealed that cigarette sales resumed at several of the shops where the searches were held. A shopkeeper near Khajamalai who was selling cigarettes said, "We only sell them to known people."
The owner of another tea stall opposite a private primary school in Khajamalai casually remarked: "Cigarettes are essential to run a tea shop. We sell at least 50 packets a day, mostly to students, especially after other shops have stopped selling it due to fear of raids." C Aravind of Khajamalai, who led the student group from the Thanthai Periyar college in submission of the petition on tobacco sale to the collector's camp office, said, "Every time we lodge a complaint, there's a raid and such temporary action. But by the third day, cigarettes are back on shops’ shelves." "Even banned tobacco products are being sold easily at some parts," added Aravind, who has been campaigning against tobacco sales near educational institutions.
Such illegal sale even tends to promote smoking on the campus of educational institutions. At the Thanthai Periyar college, TNIE spotted students frequenting the hostel areas, particularly after class hours, to smoke in groups.
When enquired, College Principal K Angammal said, "We organised several anti-drug and anti-tobacco awareness campaigns for our students in recent months." "We take the issue seriously and are in the process of installing CCTV cameras at hostel areas to ensure better monitoring and to deter such behaviour," she added. "The implementation of law is mostly symbolic," said Aravind. "We need continuous surveillance, regular raids and suspension of shop licences to make a real impact."
Meanwhile, district officials said visual deterrents in the form of road markings are being introduced. "We have already started painting 'Tobacco Free Zones' outside several schools and roads in yellow, as well as through wall paintings across the district. This will soon be extended to all major colleges and institutions in the district," a district administration official said.