Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:291 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health the health information programmes he intends to introduce to reduce cigarette smoking and the particular programmes he intends to target at young women.
Written Answers. - Cigarette Smoking.
A range of health information/education initiatives are in place to reduce cigarette smoking among young people and specifically among young women.
Just this morning I launched a major new Health Promotion Unit anti-smoking campaign targeted specifically, but not exclusively, at young people. The campaign is a multi-media one using TV, radio and outdoor advertising. Particular use will be made of local radio to maintain a high profile for the campaign throughout the country.
Last week I launched the 1993 "Health is Lookin' Good" health messages competition for first and second-level schools. Smoking is one of the themes on which entries are being sought.
My Department's Health Promotion Unit is engaged jointly with the Department of Education and the Irish Cancer Society in an anti-smoking initiative for young people called SCRAP — Smoking Cessation and Reduction Action Programme. This pilot project is using a peer-led approach whereby pupils themselves choose other young people who are then given information, skills and leadership training to enable them to return to school with the skills necessary to discourage smoking.
Smoking is also addressed in a substance abuse prevention project being piloted in a number of Dublin second-level schools by the Health Promotion Unit in conjunction with the Department of Education and the Mater Dei Institute. Both these pilot projects are being evaluated. If they prove successful it is my intention to have them disseminated nationwide. In addition to these initiatives many of the health boards have school health education programmes which address,inter alia, the issue of smoking.
Posters specifically designed to highlight the unaesthetic effects of smoking for young women are available from my Department's Health Promotion Unit. Some of these were designed in consultation with the Council for the Status of Women.
A comprehensive data base on young people's knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in relation to smoking is necessary if we are to monitor smoking trends and target programmes effectively. For this reason the Health Promotion Unit has commissioned the Economic and Social Research Institute to carry out a major national survey on this issue among 12-18 year olds. Incidentally the survey is also gathering similar information on alcohol use. The fieldwork for the survey is being completed this week.