PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Friday urged the State Government to ban ‘Cool Lip’, a tobacco product that he said was becoming an addiction for school children. He alleged that the sellers of ‘Cool Lip’ are using school children to expand their business in Tamil Nadum where chewable tobacco products have been banned by the State.
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In a statement, Mr Ramadoss said that ‘Cool Lip’, tobacco stuffed insidesmall filtered papers, manufactured in New Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, is being smuggled into Tamil Nadu through Karnataka.
“This tobacco product is popular in schools and school children are a big market. School children have become addicted to Cool Lip just like college students become addicted to narcotic substances. ‘Cool Lip’ is being distributed free to school children to get them addicted and then the sellers charge Rs. 20 per packet. If they can’t afford it, they are asked to get them additional business,” said Mr. Ramadoss.
He added that there have been cases where students were caught in inebriated conditions in the classroom after using ‘Cool Lip’. “The State Government must crack down on the selling of banned tobacco products in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
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