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Smoking

Volume 402: debated on Tuesday 25 March 2003

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To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of his Department's expenditure on publicity and advertising in relation to tobacco issues, in each year from 1990–91 to 2003–04 (planned); what value for money assessment of it has been carried out; and if he will make a statement. [103702]

For the period 1990–91 to 1998–99 public education campaigns were run by the Health Education Authority. The Department of Health took over this work in 1999–2000.The spend in the last four financial years is shown in the table. The total budget for 2003–04 is still to be confirmed.

£ million
Total spend on publicityAmount spent on advertising
1999–200015.56.18
2000–0113.738.97

£ million

Total spend on publicity

Amount spent on advertising

2001–0212.37.79
2002–03137.8731

1 Amount currently scheduled to be spent on advertising

The non-advertising expenditure funds campaign literature, specialist helplines for smokers, campaign website, research and specialist campaigns targeting other key audiences such as pregnant smokers and young people.

It is difficult to isolate the success of the education campaign due to other factors at work such as prices, incomes, social trends etc. However, a number of different measures are in place to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Don't Give Up Giving Up" advertising campaign. These include prevalence surveys, quarterly tracking research, monitoring calls to the national health service smoking helpline, evaluation of media coverage and helpline referrals to local services.