Tobacco sales rampant around colleges

BANGALORE: With a goal to prevent addiction to tobacco, the National Tobacco Control Programme was launched in 2007 that set strict guidelines for tobacco selling or usage restriction in a 100-metre-radius of schools and colleges.But are colleges taking stringent measures against those who use or sell tobacco? How far has the guidelines been implemented?On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, City Express throws some light on the measures taken by colleges to ensure that the ban  has been implemented and student responses for the same.As per the guidelines set, even the faculty members are restricted from using tobacco products in the tobacco-free zone.Many colleges in the city refused to accept that there are tobacco sellers around the college premises, however, when City Express visited a few educational institutions in the city, we witnessed quite a contradictory picture. It was noticed that most students purchased cigarettes from the small shops located in their college vicinity.When City Express interacted with the Principal of The National Degree College, Jayanagar, Dr K Narappa, he said that even before the guidelines were passed, the college was a tobacco-free zone and even today, the college has maintained this rule in its vicinity.He said, “Our sole responsibility lies in displaying the anti-tobacco rules in the college premises and also ensuring the ban in 100-metre radius of the college. But we are in no position to vacate the shopkeepers and at the same time cannot stop students from smoking outside the college.”Dr B R Lakshmikantha, Principal of Dayananda Sagar Academy of Technology and Management, said, “Since it is a new college, there are no shops selling cigars and other tobacco products in the one-kilometre radius of our college. If we find any such sellers in the future, strict measures will be taken against them.”When asked if the college has undertaken any awareness programme to make students and faculty aware about the health issues caused by the use of tobacco he said, “We have not conducted any awareness programme till now, but we would be conducting such programmes in the future.”Many students opine that making colleges a tobacco free zone or implementing any guidelines does not help students to quit smoking.  Chandan Kumar, a student of  Jain University said, “Students start smoking due to peer pressure and also as a stress buster. Initially, it is cigarette but later it leads to getting addicted to drugs like marijuana and others.”