PANJIM: Expressing its concern that substance abuse in Goa has trickled down to teenagers with a growing number of school children getting addicted to various narcotics, the Goa Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GCPCR) has urged the police to conduct inspection and verification of tobacco, gutka outlets and sale of liquor surrounding educational institutions.
In a letter to both the District Superintendent of Police (SP), the Commission has urged the police to enforce the legal provisions with regard to sales of liquor and sales of biddies/cigarettes, gutkha and other tobacco products surrounding areas of schools and educational institutions including coaching centres for children.
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The Goa, Daman and Diu (Excise Duty) Rules, 1964 prohibits sale of liquor near educational institutions. Rule 90, (4) (a) states that no licence shall be granted to an applicant if the premises in which he proposes to open liquor shop are within a radius of 100 metres from an educational Institution or a place of worship.
Similarly, Section (6) of the COTPA, 2003 prohibits sale of cigarettes or any other tobacco product to and by minors and its sale within a radius of 100 yards of educational institutions.
The Goa Commission for Protection of Child Rights said that this calls for streamlining and strategising the efforts made by various authorities, institutions and agencies to bring paradigm shift in the direction of substance abuse prevention amongst children in the State. There is need for efforts to wean away children from substance abuse through some corrective and preventive measures, through convergent actions in a time-bound manner.
