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ShareMumbai: Lawmakers are finally taking note of the rising incidence of tobacco use among minors. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday decided to initiate a drive to make areas within 100 meters of school premises smoke free. Instructions have been passed to the civic license department to take action against paan-beedi and tobacco vending shops located near schools.
The decision was taken after a special meeting called on the issue by education committee chairman Dr Ram Barot. Senior officials from the health, education and license departments had been summoned for the meeting. Also present were representatives from Salaam Bombay trust and the Tata Memorial Hospital.
Barot quoted a 2005 Salaam Bombay survey, which had revealed that 40% of school-going children, aged under 18 years, had consumed tobacco in some form or the other. The survey was carried out on 6,351 students from 19 municipal and private schools. Barot argued that easy availability of tobacco-related products near schools was luring many of the students.
Even though the law prohibits sale of tobacco within 100 meters of educational institutions, pan-beedi stalls, both licensed or otherwise, have been flourishing in this smoke-free zone. A senior official from the license department said that Salaam Bombay would pass on an already compiled list of shops which violate this guideline, and action will be taken against them.
