Vol. 193 No. 10
asked the Minister for Health if he will take steps to warn the public through advertisements in the newspapers about the danger of contracting lung cancer from cigarette smoking; and if he will ask each local authority to organise a campaign against cigarette smoking so as to safeguard the public against the possibility of large scale lung cancer.
11.
asked the Minister for Health whether in view of the most recent well authenticated findings issued by the College of Physicians in Britain and in Denmark concerning the dangers of life-shortening and cancer arising from cigarette smoking he intends to take more positive action to warn the public of the grave dangers to health and life involved.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together.
The public is aware, from the extensive press and television publicity which has been given to the matter, of the relationship between excessive cigarette smoking and lung cancer, but for such as might wish to examine the matter in greater detail, information can be supplied by my Department on request.
In regard to the younger age groups, a leaflet warning of the undesirability of commencing cigarette smoking is circulated periodically by my Department. It is proposed in future to issue supplies of the leaflet to all school leavers and to other youth groups as a regular feature. I feel that these measures should be adequate.
The Deputies may not appreciate that there is always danger of an adverse psychological reaction to propaganda of this nature and that this makes it imperative that measures to educate the public in matters of this kind should be carried out with responsibility and discretion.
May I ask the Minister if he does not now consider it feasible to ask the county medical officers of health to start a campaign against young people smoking?
That request was made many years ago.
Would the Minister not now renew his request and make funds available from his Department for a newspaper campaign?
I could not answer that question because it presupposes that the county medical officers have been negligent in their response to instructions.
Will the Minister now give instructions to the county medical officers of health to renew the campaign against young people smoking?
I have no reason to believe that the county medical officers have been negligent about their duties in regard to young people smoking.
Can the Minister say when the last instruction was given in this regard by his Department?
If the Deputy means instructions by form of circular, I do not know, but they are reminded from time to time of their duty in this regard.
Surely the Minister will not hold that the obviously inadequate campaign carried out by him is of any use against the costly radio, television and newspaper campaigns being carried out by the tobacco manufacturers?
Surely that will arise on the next Question?
I have asked the Minister whether he will take steps to make the facts known through the medium of advertising in the newspapers. Is the Minister not satisfied that his attempts to make the public aware of the danger are grossly inadequate, in view of the fact that the manufacturers are using television, newspapers and the radio? The fact that lung cancer is increasing by reason of the consumption of tobacco is sufficient evidence that his campaign is grossly inadequate.
It is a great pity that when the Deputy is riding a hobby horse, he does not hold the reins. There is nothing the public resents so much as a political gadfly.
Surely the Minister should accept that this is a very serious subject, affecting the lives of many people, and will he not agree that it has been demonstrated by reliable authorities that the smoking of cigarettes is a dangerous practice? Does he not accept that he should take steps, as he has taken steps in the case of other dangerous drugs, to legislate in some way against the continued use of this dangerous drug?
In view of the Minister's failure to give an adequate reply to the Question, I ask your permission, Sir, to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
I shall communicate with the Deputy.
It is a pity that Dr. Browne could not hold his horses because I will deal with his supplementaries in my reply to Question No. 12.
