The State Government is now dead set to make the educational institutions tobacco-free. After schools, tobacco consumption in the premises of colleges and universities will now invite penalty.
The Government has now asked the authorities of colleges and universities to take action against anyone including Professors and staff found consuming tobacco, smoking or under inebriated state in the premises.
The Higher Education Department has ordered to conduct raids with help of police to evict the shops selling tobacco items, situated near the college and university campuses.The authorities were directed to strongly implement the tobacco free educational institutions (Section 6 b) of COTPA 2003. As per the guidelines, the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products will be prohibited, within 100 yards of educational institutions. Recently, the School and Mass Education (SME) Department had asked all schools to penalise people for smoking or consuming tobacco products inside their campus.