In this BMC Medicine article, Athauda and colleagues examined compliance with tobacco and alcohol zoning regulations around schools in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The researchers used environmental mapping with KoboToolBox and ArcGIS.
Key findings:
- Non-compliance with zoning laws is evident in all jurisdictions (441 areas) for both tobacco and alcohol.
- Within restricted zones around schools (location non-compliant with zoning laws), 16% to 100% of outlets selling alcohol were identified.
- For supply non-compliance, about 1% of shops were selling alcohol within the school buffer zones.
- The researchers call for governments to strictly enforce existing zoning regulations that are expected to restrict access to tobacco and alcohol for young people.
Recommended citation: Athauda, L., Verdun, Z., Atanasova, P. et al. (2025). Compliance to tobacco and alcohol zoning regulations around schools in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka using environmental mapping data. BMC Medicine 23, 307. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-025-04148-1