asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to establish anti-smoking clinics throughout the United Kingdom.
The provision of anti-smoking clinics is a matter for individual health authorities to determine in the light of local priorities and the available resources. The Department is, however, considering the role of such clinics in the context of its review of long-term policies on smoking and health.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what help the Government gave in each of the past 10 years to organisations campaigning against smoking; and what help the Government propose to give to such organisations in 1980.
The Health Education Council (HEC) funded by the Health Departments of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Scottish Health Education Unit (SHEU), funded by the Scottish Home and Health Department, have spent the following sums on smoking and health campaign over the past 10 years:
| HEC: | ||||
| £ | ||||
| 1970–71 | … | … | … | 119,500 |
| 1971–72 | … | … | … | 266,500 |
| 1972–73 | … | … | … | 414,000 |
| 1973–74 | … | … | … | 702,000 |
| 1974–75 | … | … | … | 158,500 |
| 1975–76 | … | … | … | 749,000 |
| 1976–77 | … | … | … | 265,500 |
| 1977–78 | … | … | … | 228,500 |
| 1978–79 | … | … | … | 325,500 |
| 1979–80 (estimated) | … | 397,000 | ||
| SHEU: | ||||
| £ | ||||
| 1970–71 | … | … | … | 5,000* |
| 1971–72 | … | … | … | 36,500 |
| 1972–73 | … | … | … | 82,500 |
| 1973–74 | … | … | … | 153,500 |
| 1974–75 | … | … | … | 140,000 |
| 1975–76 | … | … | … | 222,500 |
| 1976–77 | … | … | … | 179,500 |
| 1977–78 | … | … | … | 131,500 |
| 1978–79 | … | … | … | 340,500 |
| 1979–80 | … | … | … | (not yet available) |
| * Approximate figure. | ||||
| ASH: | ||||
| £ | ||||
| 1971–72 | … | … | … | 19,000 |
| 1972–73 | … | … | … | 6,000 |
| 1973–74 | … | … | … | 3,000 |
| 1974–75 | … | … | … | 6,400 |
| 1975–76 | … | … | … | 18,500 |
| 1976–77 | … | … | … | 31,000 |
| 1977–78 | … | … | … | 41,500 |
| 1978–79 | … | … | … | 59,500 |
| 1979–80 | … | … | … | 70,000 |
| ASH in Wales: | ||||
| £ | ||||
| 1971–72 | … | … | … | — |
| 1972–73 | … | … | … | — |
| 1973–74 | … | … | … | — |
| 1974–75 | … | … | … | — |
| 1975–76 | … | … | … | — |
| 1976–77 | … | … | … | 750 |
| 1977–78 | … | … | … | 750 |
| 1978–79 | … | … | … | 1,000 |
| 1979–80 | … | … | … | 1,200 |
| ASH in Scotland: | ||||
| £ | ||||
| 1971–72 | … | … | … | — |
| 1972–73 | … | … | … | — |
| 1973–74 | … | … | … | — |
| 1974–75 | … | … | … | — |
| 1975–76 | … | … | … | 810 |
| 1976–77 | … | … | … | 1,740 |
| 1977–78 | … | … | … | 1,590 |
| 1978–79 | … | … | … | 1,440 |
| 1979–80 (provisional) | … | 2,100 | ||
Plans for 1980–81 are still under discussion.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the cost of treating smokers for diseases caused or contributed to by smoking during each of the past five years for which records are available; and what he estimates that cost is likely to be in 1980.
The information is not available in the form requested. I would, however, refer the hon. and learned Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Eastham) on 9 July 1979.—[Vol. 970, c. 49.]
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many deaths he expects to be caused in the United Kingdom in the current year to men and women, respectively, as a result of smoking.
On the basis of the latest estimates available, we would expect there to be some 50,000 premature deaths during the current year as a result of smoking. It would be misleading to attempt a detailed breakdown of this figure, but we would expect a substantial majority of these deaths to occur among men. The number of deaths among women from smoking-related diseases, particularly lung cancer, has been rising over recent years.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many and what percentage of schoolchildren he estimates to be regular smokers at each age from eight to 18 years, respectively; what percentage of university and college students he estimates are regular smokers; and how these figures compare with such previous years for which records are available.
The information is not available in the form requested. The most recent national survey, carried out in 1966, indicated that the percentage of boys smoking one or more cigarettes a week rose from 4 per cent. at the age of 11 to 34 per cent. at the age of 15. Prevalence among girls was thought to be roughly two-thirds that among boys.