A shop selling cigarettes in front of a college. Picture by Eastern Projections

Feb. 10: The sight of students gathered in front of colleges with fags in hand or devouring chaat or phuchka is common in the city. The administration wants to put an end to these scenes.

The Kamrup (metro) district administration has asked the Guwahati Municipal Corporation as well as educational institutions to take steps to prevent sale of cigarettes and junk food near school and college campus.

An official in the deputy commissioner’s office said the administration receives increasing number of complaints and reports from guardians and various organisations about the negative impact of sale of cigarettes near educational institutions. He said the administration had asked schools and colleges to create no-smoking zones near the schools and campuses.

“Although there is a ban on smoking in public places, puffing is still common near educational institutions. Many say that setting up of pan and cigarette shops near institutions are instigating students to pick up the habit of smoking. Except Pandu College, no educational institution has taken up any step to prevent smoking,” the official said.

Puffing is rampant even in front of the leading institutions, including Cotton College, B. Borooah College and Guwahati Commerce College.

Appreciating the efforts of Pandu College, which took punitive actions against some students found smoking on college campus, the official said the administration has asked the other institutions to carry out awareness drives, including putting up hoardings near the campuses. He said Pandu College should be a model for other institutions to follow. They should also constitute an anti-smoking cell comprising teachers and students.

The corporation has been asked to help the institutions evict shops selling cigarettes. The administration has asked the corporation to take tough actions on cigarette shops that have been set up near schools.

According to the records at the corporation, there are more than 6,000 registered shops, which sell cigarettes. Under the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 violators could be taken to police stations and fined.

Besides cigarette shops, the other worrying aspect for the administration is the sale of junk food near schools and college campuses. The administration has also asked the educational institutions to take steps to prevent the sale of junk foods.

Sources said health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently expressed concern over the increasing number of students who consume junk foods and asked the health department to take action.

“The joint directorate of health services has informed the issue to the metro administration. The administration accordingly asked the corporation to crack down on those selling junk foods near schools and colleges. The health wing of the corporation will carry out the drive,” the source said.

Many educational institutions while welcoming the initiatives said it would be difficult for the college to prevent sale of cigarettes beyond the boundary of the institutions unless the administration extends support to execute the ban.