Written Answers. - Anti-Smoking Campaign.
Deirdre Clune
Question:
270
Ms Clune
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the initiatives, if any, his Department has taken since 1995 to promote a reduction in smoking habits; the cost of these initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4416/99]
The Health Promotion Unit of my Department works closely with a wide variety of statutory and voluntary groups to ensure that people have the information and support to make healthy lifestyle choices. The unit has been involved in a number of initiatives since 1995 to increase the levels of knowledge and awareness of the risk factors associated with smoking. Included among these were a number of national multi-media anti-smoking campaigns.
During the period 1993-1995 the "I'm One Less" anti-smoking campaign was in operation. This was a multi-media campaign involving television, radio and outdoor advertising aimed largely at young people. It was directed at encouraging the friends, relatives and peers of smokers to adopt a positive and supportive role in helping them to stop smoking. The total spend over the course of this campaign was over £600,000.
During the period 1995-1997 the "Say what you like – smoking kills" campaign was in operation and the overall spend on the campaign was in excess of £700,000 during that period. The campaign used television, radio, outdoor and print advertising.
The most recent anti-smoking campaign "Break the Habit for Good" was launched in December 1998. This campaign takes a slightly different approach than previous campaigns by emphasising the positive effects which quitting smoking can have on the individual. The campaign continues, by means of a series of national and local initiatives, to offer help and support for people wishing to quit smoking. This is operated in conjunction with the Irish Cancer Society and offers support in the form of an advice kit. The budget involved will be of the order of £500,000 for the first "burst" of this campaign.
A further £100,000 was made available in 1998 to fund a GP training initiative. This involves day release training for GPs in smoking cessation.
A voluntary code on smoking in the workplace was developed by the Health Promotion Unit with the support of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, the Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Heart Foundation and the Health and Safety Authority. The code is included in a booklet entitled, "Working Together for Cleaner Air" and was distributed to over 5,000 companies, state, and semi-state institutions in late 1994. This code encourages a consensual approach to smoking control policies through a consultation process between staff and management interests.
The Health Promotion Unit of my Department also co-ordinates two schools programmes which seek to prevent young people taking up smoking in the first instance. The Smoking Reduction Action Programme (SCRAP) is a peer-led anti-smoking programme for schools which was developed by the Department of Health and Children in conjunction with the Irish Cancer Society, the National Youth Federation and with support from the Department of Education and Science. The cost involved in the development of this programme was in the region of £45,000. The second schools programme, the "Smoke-busters" project, is aimed at primary school children (seven-11 years) in an urban environment and was developed by the Irish Cancer Society, my Department, the Department of Education and Science and the Eastern Health Board. The cost involved in the development of this programme was in the region of £70,000.
Action against smoking also continues at health board level and in the voluntary sector. The Health Promotion Unit, in association with voluntary agencies active in this area, produces a range of materials including leaflets and posters containing information on smoking and encouraging smokers to quit.
In addition to the health promotion measures outlined above new regulations, operative from February 1996, were put in place to help protect people from the harmful effects of passive smoking. The Tobacco Health Promotion and Protection Regulations 1995 prohibit and restrict smoking in a wide range of public areas and facilities.
In addition I established a smoke free policy group in 1997 to review all aspects of health and tobacco policy. The group is chaired by a senior civil servant in my Department and the areas being looked at by the group include smoking in the workplace, protection from passive smoking and prevention of children taking up smoking. The group will be reporting to me shortly.
I am allocating a sum of £180,000 to the health boards in 1999 as part of my commitment to promoting a smoke free society. This money will be used to foster integration of smoke free policies into health board service plans and to improve compliance with tobacco laws.
I am supporting the establishment of a tobacco information resource and research centre and have allocated a sum of £50,000 to ASH Ireland to initiate the project in 1999.
Also as part of the smoke free initiative a diploma course in tobacco and health studies is being developed. A grant of £20,000 is being made to the Department of Community Health and Medicine at Trinity College, Dublin to initiate the diploma course in the academic year 1999-2000.
