Cigarette sales persist close to Chennai schools

CHENNAI: Some news sounds repetitive because it keeps happening and there is no one-stop solution. One such is the accessibility to tobacco products, cigarettes in particular, among young adults.

Several shops operating close to schools continue to sell cigarettes. The law prohibits outlets within a 100-metre radius of any educational institution. Whether it’s 100 m or 200 m, the shops are close enough to cause problems, especially in an era where these gateway drugs are being seized inside school premises.

“I don’t sell to school children. But we’re vigilant,” said a petty shop owner in Choolaimedu. His shop is located beyond the 100-metre mark on a main road while schools nearby are pocketed in interior lanes. “But we cannot differentiate when they are not in uniform. It’s always been the case if a school kid buys a cigarette,” he added.

Be it Periyamet, Royapettah, Egmore or Ashok Nagar, several schools across the city have a shop nearby that sells cigarettes and other tobacco products. “Not a single school in TN can declare tobacco-free education,” says Cyril Alexander, State convenor of Tamil Nadu’s People Forum for Tobacco Control.

He stresses two linked problems: one overlapping educational centres (tuition, training institutes and colleges) make continuous 100-metre exclusion zones impractical in much of the city, and peer-to-peer access. “Kids learn from kids. When a single student tries, the others get the urge. It’s the access that will be their main problem. Shops located close to the schools provide them easy access. And the issue gets serious when it becomes a routine,” he pointed out.

Near a private school on Vepery High Road, there are several petty shops. And just nearby, a secluded lane. “This road is full of cigarette butts. Some of it is thrown by students. This is the hideout,” said a resident of Saalai Street, a narrow stretch with small industries and a few homes. With little traffic, it becomes a perfect place to light up. “They won’t be in uniforms but of course we can tell. It’s the kids,” added the resident.

Under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, Section 6 (b) prohibits the sale of tobacco products within a 100-metre radius of any educational institution, The Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (TOFEI) guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare require schools and colleges to display prominent ‘No Tobacco’ signage, ensure regular monitoring.

“The law was implemented more than a decade ago, but had it been enforced well, large parts of Chennai would be effectively tobacco-free”, opined Cyril.

Since 2023, TN has inspected more than 5.2 lakh shops and vehicles, booking 13,642 violations, seizing 1.8 lakh kg of banned tobacco (including cool lip, paan masala), and police recorded 43,167 cases. Though raids are conducted to shops near educational institutions, they coexist with persistent local breaches and quick re-stocking.

“Twenty-one departments can enforce this but who actually acts? Police and health perhaps but the school education department, which should lead awareness and school coordination, is often absent,” pointed out Cyrill. “Even when short-term drives close shops, the ban will be short-lived unless orders and drives are stringent.”