100 cases of tobacco sale near schools, colleges recorded last year in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: More than two decades after the union government banned the sale of tobacco products in the vicinity of educational institutions, poor enforcement of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) has resulted in 100 violations being recorded in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits in 2023-24.

While officials from the BBMP's Tobacco Control Board insist they have tightened enforcement and increased surveillance, students and staff from educational institutions say tobacco products continue to be sold within the 100-meter radius of their campuses.

An assistant professor at a private university in Bengaluru, who prefers to remain anonymous, said, “There are many places across the city that sell tobacco products to students. Needless to say, these outlets are within 100 meters from a majority of campuses across the city.”

Prominent higher educational institutions near Hosur Road, Langford Road, and Kattigenahalli have outlets that sell cigarettes to students regardless of their age, he noted.

While the enforcement of COTPA is a collective effort involving the BBMP, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the police, there is a “general lack of initiatives and patrolling from school and college managements to step out of their campuses to ensure their students are prevented from exposure to tobacco-related substances,” public health experts say.

Dr. Pragathi Hebbar, Assistant Director of the Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru, noted, “Even though Karnataka is one of the states that records the highest cases of COTPA violations, there is still room to make enforcement efforts more visible and sustained. This will lead to fear of flouting, as a result of which there will be better compliance.”

However, educational institutions believe that Rs 200 as a penalty for public smoking is “too low” and would not end public smoking.

D. Shashi Kumar, General Manager of the Associated Management of English Medium Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), said, “We are planning to collaborate with NGOs, the health department, and the Tobacco Control Board to bring awareness to prevent minors from being exposed to cigarettes and other substances.”

Speaking to DH, an official from the BBMP Tobacco Control Board said, “In 2022, we formed constituency-wise enforcement teams, which led to increased monitoring of COTPA violations. As a result, we see higher identification of violations and subsequent penalizations.” He added, “Enforcement teams do regular surveillance in and around public places and educational institutions.”

He also mentioned that “rigorous campaigns and awareness programs were conducted by the board to encourage students to report COTPA violations via the government app ‘Stop Tobacco.’”