The Coimbatore Corporation’s Health Department has intensified enforcement of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), with licences of 16 shops cancelled for selling tobacco products in violation of the 100-yard prohibition around educational institutions.

Unlike previous enforcement measures that focused on areas surrounding schools, the current drive extends to inspections within Corporation school campuses. Since June 10, the squads have inspected 59 Corporation schools and screened more than 20,000 students.

As part of the drive, flying squads have been constituted in all five Corporation zones — North, South, East, West and Central. Each squad comprises a medical officer, public health manager and health inspector. The initiative is being carried out under the direct supervision of the City Health Officer.

The inspections involve checking students’ school bags, classrooms, toilets and dustbins for tobacco products. Awareness sessions on the harmful effects of tobacco consumption and the provisions of COTPA are also being conducted for students from Class VII onwards. The Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) team has been actively involved in the inspections and awareness activities.

Officials said no tobacco products had been found in the possession of students or within school premises during the inspections conducted so far. The exercise, they said, was aimed at preventing tobacco use among school and college students and ensuring that educational institutions remained tobacco-free.

Tobacco products seized from shops during the enforcement drive were handed over to the Food Safety Department for further proceedings, the officials said.

As part of measures to strengthen compliance with the law, yellow markings indicating the 100-yard tobacco-free zone have been painted at eight schools so far. Similar markings will be extended to other schools in phases, the officials said.

The inspections are set to be expanded to private schools in the coming weeks. Officials added that, based on directions from the State government and the District Collector, joint enforcement teams comprising representatives of the police, Food Safety Department and local bodies are being constituted across the district.

The joint teams will conduct coordinated inspections to prevent the sale of tobacco products, narcotic substances and other intoxicants, and to strengthen enforcement efforts in and around educational institutions and other public places.

Corporation officials said inspections and awareness activities would continue, and action would be taken against establishments found violating COTPA provisions.