‘Project Zero Drugs in Schools’ to curb use of banned tobacco products, drugs among students in Coimbatore

In a move to curb the practice of students using prohibited tobacco products such as gutkha and pan masala, and preventing them from gradually getting used to gateway drugs like ganja, the Coimbatore City Police will implement ‘Project Zero Drugs in Schools’.

City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan said the initiative was aimed at saving school students who are addicted to banned tobacco products, and to cut the supply chain of such products.

“We have a plan of action for the project which will be implemented with the support of the school management. To start with, we are planning to launch the project in government schools in the city,” he said.

The police have planned for a meeting with teachers and principals of schools to introduce them about the project and implement it with their support.

“It has been identified that the sale of banned tobacco products was not happening near and around schools. But what happens is that if one student buys these items from a particular shop, other students get introduced to the shopkeeper and get through him. These shopkeepers sell these products only to known persons. When the police sent decoys who posed as customers, such shopkeepers did not sell,” said Mr. Balakrishnan.

According to him, the police also plan to get in touch with students who have been found using these tobacco products and arrange counselling sessions for them through professional counsellors. This a plan to cut off the supply chain within the schools.

“The police will also identify shops that were found involved in the sale of prohibited tobacco products in the past. By and large, the sale has come down because the fine imposed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is heavy,” said Mr. Balakrishnan.

Traders selling banned tobacco products will attract a fine of ₹ 5,000 and a warning against repeating the offence for a first offence. The fine is ₹ 10,000 if a trader is caught selling the contraband a second time. The FSSAI will suspend the shop’s licence and seal it, besides imposing a fine of ₹ 25,000, for a third offence.

“Though there is a decline in such cases, there are students who use such products. Once they are used to these soft products like gutkha, the chance of them getting introduced to other drugs is high. Hence, it is important to nip it in the bud”, he added.