I was speaking on the general problem of cigarette smoking when the debate was adjourned, and I suppose I ought to say a little bit more on this general subject although Deputy Dr. Browne's comments were most useful. In examining the whole problem of smoking when we look at the various reports that have been published by the Royal College of Physicians, and in America, we see that those who smoke very few cigarettes a day are less liable to contract lung cancer, or the other diseases that have been mentioned in this House, than those who smoke a great many cigarettes. Of course, equally, keeping the cigarette in the mouth, inhaling all of the smoke, and the amount of the cigarette that is smoked from one end to the other, also vary the medical effects of cigarette smoking.
Members of the House may not know that research is being done into growing tobacco with a lower tar and nicotine content. I met a tobacco grower the other day who told me of the demand being made on him for tobacco leaf, and that he had been asked to specialise more in growing tobacco in such a way that in its maturity it will have less tar and nicotine. Long-term research is being done on this and experiments are being carried out on mixing a harmless compound with tobacco to see what the results will be.
In the United States arrangements have been made for publication of the content of tar and nicotine in each of the well-known brands of cigarettes. That would be very difficult to do in this country at the moment because the tobacco in the cigarettes sold here may not necessarily have the same tar and nicotine content as in the brands of cigarettes sold under the same name in Great Britain. Of course, many of them are corresponding, and then we have our own brands as well. I merely mention this to show that there is continuing research into this whole problem.
Some other research has been done which has now been published by the Royal College of Physicians but which is a warning to the very heavy cigarette smoker who, according to the statistics, is very likely to contract one of the other diseases, or to suffer from the disabilities of what might be described as chain smoking. It has now been pretty well proved that to smoke cigarettes over the level of 40 to 60 a day— which is not very common, and I do not think it makes many profits for the tobacco companies—is to become addicted. In other words, the body demands the cigarettes and the person has virtually no self-control.
The experiment that was conducted was that of collecting a group of heavy smokers, who were also motor car drivers, and putting them in a motor simulator where they had to drive a vehicle indoors, watch television screens, avoid accidents, turn corners, and so forth. One half of them were injected with nicotine and the other half with saline solution. They were given packets of cigarettes and matches. Those who were injected with saline solution smoked, I think, twice as many cigarettes during a period of an hour and a half as those who were injected with a nicotinic preparation. Of course, they were not told with which preparation they were injected. They were quite unconscious of whether they had received a shot of nicotine before the operation. It seems to be quite clear from that experiment, that the very heavy smoker, like the alcoholic, has lost control of his consumption. Obviously there are exceptions to that. I mention this in passing.
As I have said, I have tried to look at this whole problem as objectively as I can. I have also to look at the problem of cigarettes in relation to other forms of drugs. I still think it is better to begin with young people and ask them to grow up as healthy as they can, to avoid excessive alcohol drinking, to avoid taking drugs, and to avoid smoking. In respect of older people, where it has been found extraordinarily difficult to get them to give up cigarette smoking, there is the alternative of alcohol which produces hallucinogenic effects and is a frightening scourge in this country, far the worst scourge we have. We and the French have the worst record of alcoholism in Europe. Another alternative is dangerous drugs concerning which we have taken as much action as we can. The remainder of the steps to be taken are well advanced.
There is also the enormous consumption of mild psychotrophic drugs of which Deputy Dr. Browne is well aware and about which there has been very little research as to their ultimate long-term effects. I suppose I can illustrate this by quoting from Sir Derek Dunlop's Report for the Royal College of Surgeons in which he said that one hour out of every ten of sleep in Great Britain is now drug induced and that there were delivered to the population of England and Wales, some 50 million odd people, 14 million prescriptions of a well-known mild psychotrophic drug in a single year. I think I had better not name it; it is well known to everybody.
We will be able to get the figures for the induction of the milder psychotrophic drugs in this country arising from the medical card, choice of doctor, system and the computerised prescription list. That is not to say we will know who is taking what drug. We will know the number of prescriptions for these mild psychotrophic drugs. I already know reputable chemists who tell me that half of their prescriptions consist of two mild psychotrophic drugs which are now taken by large sections of the population almost like sweets, and passed to and fro from one person to another in a block of houses, as though they were "Smarties" to be consumed like sweets.
This is all due to the problem of the growth of insecurity and a feeling of resentment against the continuing adversities of life which are occasioned not only in the socially deprived society which we still have but also even more among the affluent population. This feeling of resenting adversity in life, which is inevitable to everyone because we are imperfect human beings, can be found in every country in Europe. People seem to be unable to accept the strains and stresses of existence to which people were accustomed 50 years ago.
I suppose one of the reasons is that 50 years ago a very high percentage of the population were entirely fatalistic in their attitude as to what sorrows and miseries were likely to come to them, and to what strains and stresses they would have to endure, particularly those who were then on a very low economic scale of existence. Now, with the growth of wages and the growth of affluence, I suppose, the figure is almost reversed. A very high percentage of the population expect growing standards of living and growing opportunities for a full life, and are constantly increasing the number of consumer goods they buy. Indeed, there has been a lot of research into this subject.
We have to look at tobacco, dangerous as it may be, dangerous as the Report of the Royal College of Physicians has said it is, as a drug which is liable to reduce quite definitely the life of those who indulge in it but at least it has no hallucinogenic effects of note and does not cause abject misery to the family of the person who is a consistent smoker. One has to look at it in a balanced way particularly in regard to adults who smoke cigarettes.
Deputy Dr. Browne and other speakers are quite correct in saying that there is simply no justification for suppressing the use of tobacco any more than the use of alcohol. I am advised by three of the leading psychiatrists in the country that alcohol, taken in reasonable quantities, is a most valuable drug for the community and that it is only when taken in excess that it becomes dangerous. That is not to say that in this country, with our high rate of alcoholism, I do not welcome the very large numbers of persons who belong to the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association and the other temperance associations, and who set a good example and demonstrate to people that one can live a happy, contented and exhilarating life without having to consume alcohol. I would find it very difficult to do so. I enjoy a drink as much as anybody else. I want to make that very clear.
Perhaps I next should say a little bit more about the difficulties to be faced in trying to persuade adults to give up cigarettes. If you look at a table on page 12 of the Report of the Royal College of Physicians you will see the percentage of women and men who smoked in 1961 and 1968. The two graphs follow a pattern indicating there were moments when there was a reduction in consumption. In regard to consumption, comparing 1961 and 1968, the graphs tend to meet showing quite definitely that it is very difficult to persuade adults to give up smoking.
The general consumption of tobacco in the United States, for example, has shown spasmodic falls and then appears to have slowly risen again. It appears to have risen again recently after the ending of advertising of cigarettes showing again that the advertising of cigarettes, as claimed by some of the tobacco companies, is almost more a method of selling rival brands of cigarettes than it is of increasing the consumption of cigarettes. I think that is an overstated claim. I would not accept that statement without a great deal more research. At least one can say that the consumption of tobacco, while it has levelled off in a number of countries, has not shown signs of any great decline when steps have been taken to cease advertising.
I come back again to a progressive form of education for young people. I admit that the campaign we have for young people will not be sufficient by itself. We have to engage in far more studies on youth education in preparation for life in general. The Christian churches are aware of the necessity of appealing to young people and, perhaps, adopting newer and more modern approaches to their attitude to life, their hobbies, their personal interests, their recreation and sport. More recreational facilities will have to be provided for young people, both physical and intellectual, especially in urban areas.
I recognise that expenditure on health education here is at a very low level. I am relieved, but not complacent, that it is at an extremely low level in every country because there has been a cumulative tradition, which is quite natural, that you must cure the sick. I have managed to increase the total vote. I managed to multiply by five in the last two years the total amount of my vote for health education of all kinds. I should like to tell the House that I intend, if I have the privilege of being Minister for Health long enough, to found a health education centre. Health education simply cannot be done completely by the individual societies, who are doing splendid work, such as the Irish Heart Foundation, the Irish Cancer Society and the Irish Dental Health Education Association and it certainly cannot be done by my Department. It will require a professional health education centre.
At the same time, in connection with my effort to expand the work of the social service councils, the work of the National Council for Social Service, which I have appointed, we have to have a greater recognition of the need for youth recreation, the development of youth recreation and the provision of community centres, particularly in new housing estates. Then, the kind of propaganda we have in order to encourage young people not to smoke will be more effective because they will be enlivened by a number of opportunities for an interesting existence outside their work or outside their school which they did not have before.
I should pay tribute to all those people who are already engaged in developing youth recreation. There are many social service councils, voluntary organisations, the Federation of Boy Scouts who are doing splendid work in this regard. I am not suggesting for a moment that there is not a great deal of this activity, but it has to be expanded.
I have taken Deputy Cooney's point about diversifying the appeal for anti-cigarette smoking among young people. We have not entirely concentrated on personalities of sport. We are, for example, using Charles Mitchel, the well-known newscaster in the current example factor series where we take an individual, who is not necessarily well known for sport. Our first series of filmlets "Smoking kills your taste for life" was aimed at what are called familiarly in the newspapers "Swinging Teenagers".
Finally, I believe the main intent of Tobacco (Control of Sale and Advertisement) Bill, 1971 which was I assume to provide for a warning notice on cigarette packets has been met by the provisions of the voluntary agreement to which I have referred. I must, therefore, oppose further consideration of the Bill. I should add to what I have said that I would also oppose the Bill on the grounds that I do not see the virtue of statuorily imposing obligations in an area in which we are doing extremely well by voluntary agreement. In this connection I would point to the voluntary code of standards in advertising cigarettes and drink and to the voluntary phasing out of cigarette advertising on television by RTE as well as the voluntary agreement as to the warning notices.
