By Mrittika Banerjee

Copyright deccanchronicle

HYDERABAD: Every movie begins with a public awareness advertisement on the ill-effects of consuming tobacco products. Yet one could find one or two cigarette and pan shops around almost every major school in Hyderabad, which appears seemingly as an attempt to catch future buyers at their young age. Over 22 years ago, the Andhra Pradesh government — before bifurcation — legislated the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, passed in 2003, prohibiting the sale of tobacco or products derived from it within 100 yards of educational institutions. However, cigarette and pan shops continue to operate within sight of schools with impunity. A group of parents petitioned the police about the existence of a cigarette and pan shop near the school, where their children study. They say that the presence of such shops could get children into smoking. “Every day, many people gather at the cigarette shop for smoke, which creates an unhealthy environment for children,” they wrote. Residents in Miyapur plan to start an awareness drive this week to inform the cigarette and pan shops about the rules rather than pushing only for punishment. Police, however, argue that law enforcement follows after complaints. Shilpavalli, deputy commissioner of police, central zone, said, “Whenever we get complaints, we take immediate action.” Asked about the cigarette and pan shops that were present before the schools set up in the area, the DCP said, “If the school is in the proximity, he should not sell tobacco products. However, he can continue with the rest of his business.” This distinction has left many traders uncertain about their future. Md Salauddin, a member of the Pan Shop Owners Association of Telangana, argued that vendors are unfairly blamed when institutions move into commercial areas. “Many times, schools and colleges are established in areas we were operating traditionally. In Secunderabad, schools came much later. But the blame still falls on us,” he said. He said his members are not running cigarette outlets alone. “People think pan shops mean only cigarettes or gutkha, but we sell many things like biscuits, supari, toffees, newspapers,and water packets. Tobacco is only part of it.” Prof P.L. Vishveshwar Rao, member of Telangana State Education Commission, noted that accountability cannot rest with vendors alone. “The government issues orders. They say that educational institutions should not be located near a wine shop or a cigarette shop. The law is there. Schools are supposed to follow that,” he said. He explained that schools are also culpable if they are set up near existing pan shops in violation of government orders. Parents say that children watching adults smoking outside the school gates is harmful. Research supports these concerns. A 2023 study by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences found that nearly 29 per cent of Indian boys try tobacco before turning 18. Another study by the World Health Organisation in 2022 showed that schools located within 100 metres of a tobacco outlet saw higher rates of experimentation among adolescents. In busy stretches of Secunderabad and around older markets, schools now share space with shops and hotels that have been in operation for decades. Removing vendors is rarely straightforward, and relocation raises questions of compensation and fairness. Salauddin said, “One pan shop may support four or five families. If you close hundreds of shops, thousands of families will be left without income.” However, police instructed traders to remove tobacco from their shelves while allowing them to retain other goods.