'Toxic' summer treats take over Rawalpindi

Ice gola sells for Rs20-30 per piece, ice cream for Rs30-Rs50 and coloured drinks for Rs30-Rs70

With the onset of summer, the sale of hazardous artificially sweetened ice treats—commonly known as "ice gola"—has surged across the streets, alleys, and markets of Rawalpindi, attracting kids specially in a large number.

Along with these, stalls selling substandard beverages and artificially coloured ice creams made from low-grade ice are seeing a boom in activity, particularly around government and private school premises.

As school hours come to an end, vendors swiftly set up stalls right outside school gates, selling brightly coloured ice gola, icy beverages in red, yellow, blue, green, and orange, and cheap ice cream made from flavoured ice. These items are also widely sold throughout neighborhoods and marketplaces.

Currently, these items are being sold at affordable prices—Rs20 to Rs30 for ice gola, Rs30 to Rs50 for ice-based ice creams, and Rs30 to Rs70 for coloured drinks—making them easily accessible for children and passersby. The most frequent customers are schoolchildren who exit hungry and thirsty after school, along with local residents and shoppers seeking quick refreshment in the scorching heat.

Vendors often prepare these items in advance, enabling swift sales as students pour out of schools. However, these products are often made using non-food-grade ice and synthetic chemicals including "saccharin" instead of sugar, raising serious health concerns.

Despite a formal ban imposed by the Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner on the sale of such unsafe ice-based products, the stalls continue to operate openly, especially outside educational institutions. Authorities, including district education officers and local administration, appear to have failed in enforcing the restrictions effectively.

Dr Inayat, who is the Deputy Medical Superintendent at Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, has issued a health advisory warning parents against allowing children to consume these brightly coloured ice treats and beverages.

He says these items are highly dangerous, potentially leading to throat infections, tuberculosis, cancer, and other serious illnesses. According to Dr Inayat, saccharin—a chemical sweetener used instead of sugar—can cause severe digestive issues and poses serious health risks.