Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Sep 1999

Vol. 508 No. 1

Written Answers. - Anti-Smoking Campaigns.

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

455 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the sum spent in each of the last ten years by the Health Promotion Unit of his Department on anti-smoking campaigns and educational activities and by each health board in anti-smoking campaigns and activities. [17558/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen):

Several national multi-media anti-smoking campaigns have been initiated over the last number of years designed to increase the levels of knowledge and awareness of the risk factors associated with smoking. The details of these campaigns are as follows:

In 1989, the "Smoking is Dangerous and Disgusting – Stop it Now" campaign was launched and continued until 1992 with a total expenditure of £587,000.

During the period 1993-5 the "I'm One Less" anti-smoking campaign was initiated. This was a multi-media campaign 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 smokers to quit. The total expenditure over the course of this campaign was over £600,000.

During the period 1995-7, the "Say What You Like – Smoking Kills" campaign was launched and the overall expenditure was in excess of £700,000 during this period. The campaign used television, radio, outdoor and print advertising in an effort to raise awareness of the issue.

The most recent anti-smoking campaign "Break the Habit for Good" was launched in December 1998 in association with the Irish Cancer Society. This campaign takes a slightly different approach to previous campaigns and emphasises the positive effects which quitting smoking can have on the individual. The campaign involves national and local initiatives, which offers support for those people wishing to give up smoking. The budget involved was in the order of £500,000 over the period 1998-9. I have also allocated a sum of £180,000 to the health boards in 1999 to foster integration of smoke free policies into health board service plans and to improve compliance with tobacco laws. I have supported 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 a 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.

The voluntary code on smoking in the workplace was developed by the health promotion unit of my Department with the support of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Irish Business and Employers' Federation, the Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Heart Foundation and the Health and Safe Authority. The code is included in a booklet titledWorking Together for Cleaner Air and was distributed to over 5,000 companies, including other Departments, 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-ordinated 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 my Department 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 smokebusters project, which is aimed at primary school children – 7-11 years – in an urban environment, was developed by the Irish Cancer Society, the Department of Health and Children, 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.

The health promotion unit, in association with voluntary agencies active in this area, also continues to produce a range of materials including leaflets and posters containing information on smoking and encouraging smokers to quit. Action against smoking also continues at health board level. However, the extent of such action is a matter for the chief executive officer of each board. I am, therefore, sending a copy of the Deputy's question to each of the chief executive officer's with a request that they respond directly to the Deputy. I wish to assure the Deputy that action on smoking continues to be one of my top priorities as Minister for Health and Children.

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

456 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will give details of his Department's anti-smoking campaign; the period of time it is proposed to function; the expenditure allocated by his Department in 1999 for health promotion and education; and the part of this expenditure which is being utilised or will be utilised in 1999 in anti-smoking campaigns or promotional activities. [17561/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen):

The most recent anti-smoking campaign "Break the Habit for Good" was launched in December 1998 and this campaign takes a slightly different approach than previous campaigns. It emphasises the positive effects which quitting smoking can have on the individual and offers support in the form of an "advice kit" which, in turn, offers the support of the Irish Cancer Society's helpline. The campaign continues, by means of a series of national and local initiatives, to offer help and support for people wishing to quit smoking. The estimated budget involved will be of the order of £500,000 over 1998-99.

The overall sum allocated from my Department's budget to health promotion activities in 1999 is £3,052,225, of which £250,000 is set aside for the 1999 period of the anti-smoking campaign.