asked the Minister for Health if he will state in respect of each of the years 1968, 1969 and 1970 the total sum spent on health educational programmes (a) in the national press (b) on radio and (c) on television about the link between lung cancer, bronchitis, heart diseases and tobacco smoking.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Educational Programmes.
4.
I think I should first of all make the point before entering upon the detail of my reply that my Department's anti-smoking campaigns concentrate upon cigarettes and are aimed at the young. The present campaigns do not lay the emphasis on the diseases associated with the smoking of cigarettes, but rather concentrate on producing a climate, among the young particularly, in which the cigarette is neither the "in thing" nor a symbol of maturity.
So far as the expenditure on advertising by my Department in the years ending on the 31st March, 1968, 1969 and 1970 in the media to which the Deputy refers is concerned, I would draw his attention to the reply which I gave to him in response to a somewhat similar question which was reported in Volume 251, column 856 of the Official Report for Tuesday, 9th February, 1971.
To bring the picture which I gave at that time up-to-date, the actual figures of expenditure in the year ended 31st March, 1971 were as follows:—
|
£ |
|
|
(a) radio |
394.00 |
|
(b) television |
13,944.00 |
|
(c) the national press |
2,177.00 |
|
and |
|
|
(d) magazines |
621.00 |
which gives a total of £17,136 out of the total sum of £24,444.15 expended on the anti-cigarette smoking campaign during the year 1970-71. The main item upon which the balance was expended was the anti-smoking poster design competition for children.
So far as the figure for television is concerned, as I indicated in February, the showing of the "Smoking Kills your Taste for Life" series of filmlets was not charged for by Radio Telefís Éireann. They were shown free of charge during commercial time as part of the RTE Authority's public service contribution. I estimated, at that time, that if the showings had to be paid for at the going commercial rates they would have cost my Department about £17,500 in the period between October, 1970 and January, 1971. The final figure for the year would be, I estimate, about £22,000-£23,000.
I would again emphasise that in the school film shows, of which more than 1,000 a year are given, a special emphasis is laid on showing the film "Smoking and You" which has a strong anti-smoking message.
While I welcome the fact that the Minister's campaign is likely to be effective, will he not agree that the amount of money being spent is negligible when compared with the amount being spent by the tobacco companies, particularly on newspaper and magazine advertising, and that unless he steps up his campaign very considerably, or else forces them to reduce theirs, the effect will be only minimal?
The campaign has had exceedingly good coverage and I am quite sure that the vast majority of the people, both young and old, have seen these filmlets and have seen the programmes that have been established.
Question No. 5 withdrawn.