New Delhi: Government will ban sale of tobacco products near educational institutions from December 1, this year, Health Ministry officials said.

"The rule banning sale of tobacco products within 100 metres of educational institutions has been sent for notification so that the States get prepared to implement it," the officials told.

"The provision is part of the Anti-tobacco Act that came into force on May 1, this year. The part of the Act that came into force then involved only ban on smoking in public places, direct and indirect advertising and sale to minors," they said.

Since then the Government has been working on the remaining parts of the Act - ban of sale of tobacco products near educational institutions, mandatory depiction of statutory warning, including pictorial symbols and mention of tar and nicotine content, the officials said.

The pictorial warning signals to be printed on packets of tobacco products and other packaging measures were being worked out. These would take some time, they said.

Dr Anoop Misra from the AIIMS' (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) Department of Medicine said the ban on sale of tobacco products around premises of schools and colleges would go a long way in curtailing the menace as the habit of smoking is acquired at a young age.

"Gradually it becomes a life-long habit leading to cancer and heart diseases," he said.

In a study carried out by AIIMS, it was found that about five per cent of students in the age group of 14-22 years used tobacco products.