HC Deb 14 November 1966 vol 736 cc31-2
53 and 54. Mr. Pavitt

asked the Minister of Health (1) what was the average number of deaths per day for each of the past three years from lung cancer;

(2) how many men between the ages of 45 and 64 years died of lung cancer in 1965.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health (Mr. Charles Loughlin)

In England and Wales, the average number of deaths per day was 66.9 in 1963, 69.3 in 1964 and 72.3 in 1965. In 1965 there were 10,655 deaths of men aged 45–64.

Mr. Pavitt

As there are now four times as many deaths from lung cancer as from road accidents, will my right hon. Friend look again at the whole problem of T.V. advertising with a view to preventing the advertising of the smoking habit through cigars, not cigarettes, and the possibility of taking time to discourage young people from adopting the habit?

Mr. Loughlin

There is on the Order Paper a later Question about T.V. advertising. On the second part of my hon. Friend's question, I think that most hon. Members will be very gratified to know that there has been a substantial—I want to choose my words carefully—increase of non-smokers amongst our younger people, and we hope that other youngsters will take note of this and not smoke.

Mr. Fletcher-Cooke

Owing to the rapid acceleration in the number of deaths from lung cancer, will the hon. Gentleman also look carefully again at the problem of diesel fumes from motor vehicles, and other causes?

Mr. Loughlin

It may well be that diesel fumes are a contributing factor—I would not like to express an opinion—but what we are dealing with in this sense largely is cigarette smoking, and we think that cigarette smoking is the largest single factor in causing cancer of this kind.

Mr. Hogg

It may well be that air pollution, though not diesel fumes, is an important contributory cause, but has it not been established over and over again that the largest cause of lung cancer at the moment is cigarette smoking?

Mr. Loughlin

That is precisely the point which I wanted to underline in reply to the supplementary question from the hon. and learned Member for Darwen (Mr. Fletcher-Cooke).

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