The Punjab government yesterday banned the sale of tobacco products near schools with immediate effect, reports CNN-IBN.

The director general of school education of Punjab has issued guidelines to all education officers and heads of schools in the state to launch a campaign against the use of tobacco and its products. His directive states that shops cannot sell tobacco products in a radius of 100 metres from the school and display boards should be placed outside school buildings stating that the school is a tobacco free zone. No student, teacher, staff or visitor at schools’ premises would be allowed to smoke, it said. (pi)