Vol. 191 No. 2
asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a report issued on behalf of the British Empire Cancer Campaign in which it is stated that smoke content plays a very insignificant part in the inception of cancer; and if investigations are proceeding in the United Kingdom or in this country, or other countries, to evaluate the extent to which oil fumes are thought to be a predisposing cause of the disease.
10.
asked the Minister for Health if he has seen extracts in the Press from a recent report of the British Empire Cancer Campaign which suggests that the benzopyrene in cigarette smoke condensate cannot be assumed to have even a weak initiating effect in regard to cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter, having regard to previous conflicting opinions on the same subject.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take questions 9 and 10 together.
The 38th Annual Report, recently published, of the British Empire Cancer Campaign, which is a document of some 800 pages, contains a short report on a piece of research into "the Fractions of Cigarette Smoke Condensate and their Role in Carcinogenesis of the whole Concentrate" which, apparently, is the basis of the press statements referred to. That brief report does not indicate that smoke content plays a very insignificant part in the inception of lung cancer. On the contrary it tends to confirm the tumour-promoting activity of cigarette smoke condensate as a whole; but work on identifying the fraction or fractions of cigarette smoke responsible for this activity has indicated that one particular constituent of such smoke, benzopyrene, may not, as had been thought, play a significant part in the promotion of tumours by smoking. To state, as some newspapers did, that this means that cigarette smoking has been "cleared" as a cause of lung cancer, was entirely inaccurate.
A wide programme of research is being pursued in other countries in regard to the relationship between air pollution, including pollution from diesel and other fumes, and the incidence of diseases such as lung cancer. Work carried out by the British Medical Research Council would suggest that, while air pollution in general seems to be associated with lung cancer, a causal relationship has not been established and there is no evidence at present that oil fumes constitute a specific health hazard of this kind.
Has the Minister any answer to make with regard to the second part of my question?
No, I am afraid not. There have been suggestions, of course, that the fumes from internal combustion engines may be a cause of cancer. The matter is being examined more in relation to the problem of atmospheric pollution than otherwise.
Is the Minister aware that such a survey was made by the Southern Pacific Railroad in the United States and that a statistically significant differential was detected as between the drivers of steam engines and diesel engines on that line as long ago as 1948?
I am afraid my knowledge in that matter is not as——
Perhaps the Minister would cause inquiry to be made.
I shall, certainly.
