asked the Minister for Health the number of persons (a) admitted to hospital each year suffering from smoking-related diseases; and (b) who die in Ireland each year from smoking-related diseases; whether he feels that sufficient measures are being taken to dissuade people from smoking; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Smoking-Related Diseases.
5.
In 1982 nearly 31,000 people discharged from acute hospital had suffered from smoking-related diseases. In 1981 there were approximately 16,500 deaths as a result of smoking-related diseases. While tobacco consumption is a cause in many of these deaths other factors such as environmental conditions and old age are also involved.
These figures indicate that the level of morbidity and mortality from smoking related illness in this country is extremely high. Because of the serious risk posed by smoking to health it has been the aim of Government policy to reduce tobacco consumption through legislation and the activities of the Health Education Bureau. The Tobacco Products (Control of Advertising, Sponsorship and Sales Promotion) Act, 1978, and the regulations made under the Act in 1979 impose strict controls on advertising and sponsorship by tobacco companies. This legislation will be amended in the near future to strengthen the provisions and remove ambiguities which have become apparent in their applications.
Last year I received the approval of the Government to draft a Bill to place further controls on smoking. The proposed legislation will restrict smoking in certain designated public areas and introduce a health education levy on the advertising and sponsorship budgets of tobacco companies. The levy will fund an expanded anti-smoking programme by the Health Education Bureau.
The combined effect of these measures and increased health education activity should be sufficient to dissuade a great many people from beginning or continuing to smoke.
The Minister said that in 1982 nearly 31,000 people were admitted to hospital due to smoking and smoking-related diseases and that in 1981 there were approximately 16,500 deaths due to smoking-related diseases. Are the same criteria used in the UK and in Northern Ireland as those used here to identify these admissions to hospital due to smoking-related diseases and deaths due to smoking-related diseases? If the criteria are the same is the Minister aware that the comparative figures for Northern Ireland show that the number of deaths is just over 2,000 and in terms of admissions about 3,000 people are admitted to hospital each year? If the criteria are the same would the Minister agree that we seem to suffer dramatically from the problem?
The source of the figures given in the reply for hospital discharges is the hospital inpatient inquiry under the Medico Social Research Board. The source for deaths from smoking-related diseases is the CSO data; and the estimate of deaths directly attributable to smoking range from 3,500 to 5,000 per annum. The comparative data has not been challenged and is generally accepted by experts in the area.
Is there evidence that the education programme is effective, so that fewer young people are smoking? Can the Minister say if any sections of the Tobacco Act, 1978, are not in operation and, if so, why?
I have no information about sections of the Act not being in operation. As far as I know the Act is in general enforcement. I am currently drafting updated regulations under the Act. I have forgotten the first part of the Deputy's question?
Has the education programme been effective?
The programme has been quite successful. It has had a definite impact on young people. The biggest problem is the increase in the numbers of young women who are smoking. We have to pay attention to that because a number of children have died at birth because of maternal smoking and some were born handicapped because of smoking.
I would draw the Minister's attention to a report published by the Ulster Cancer Foundation in which the figures I quoted were published. I do not expect the Minister to answer here, but if the comparisons are fair and the criteria used to determine the number of deaths and admissions to hospitals are the same then there are 500 per cent more deaths here and 500 per cent more admissions to hospital here due to smoking related diseases. Perhaps the Minister could at a later stage let me know whether or not that is true.
We in Ireland are the heaviest smokers in Europe and we have the highest number of deaths and the highest number of smoking-related diseases returns in the EC.