PESHAWAR - The sale of substandard juices and cold drinks, which becomes a very profitable business especially in summer, is on the rise in Peshawar and across the country while the authorities concerned seem sleeping in a deep slumber as no action against these activities is in sight. Vendors and shopkeepers at several roadside setups and fruits juices shops set up in Sadr Cantonment Area have allegedly been found using a dangerous chemical known as ‘CLC’ in the drinks they sell. It has been learnt that the said chemical is used to thicken juices but it is highly dangerous for health, as it may damage lungs and cause stomach diseases. No food inspector has so far taken any action against the sale of these drinks and juices, which are health hazardous.  The roadside vendors have appeared in a large number to sell substandard drinks, especially outside schools and in various commercial localities during the recent weeks. The drinks include different kinds of juices. Many vendors are also selling juices of stale oranges at low prices, especially near the railway station and bus and van stands.Majority of the juice vendors do not observe any safety standards while washing their utensils in which they serve juices to their customers. Moreover, drinks are sometimes sold in reused bottles that are not cleaned properly. When this scribe contacted Ration Controller of Food Department Qazi Laiq, he said that food department and food inspector are busy to collect the sample from these juices shops and if any one found involved in Using CLC chemical, they will be brought to justice. He said that CLC chemical are also called slow poison, which badly affect health. “We have completed our survey in Haji camp, Hashnagri and Pirdos where we have collected samples and send it for examination but after the result no CLC was found in these juices samples. When asked that several shops in Saddar area are still using CLC chemical in their juices, he replied that Cantonment area not coming in their limit to check the quality as cantonment board have already formed their own committee for this purpose who are checking the quality of juices and cold drinks. It is worth mentioning here that at the advent of summer season, bundle of flies, mosquitoes and other pests during this time of the year make these poorly protected drinks even more harmful. A large number of sellers of unhygienic and spurious beverages have appeared on roads of the capital city, posing serious health hazards to the public.