HC Deb 22 July 1997 vol 298 cc744-5
5. Ms Stuart

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Government are taking to reduce tobacco consumption. [7946]

7. Dr. Iddon

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Government are taking to reduce tobacco advertising. [7948]

The Minister for Public Health (Ms Tessa Jowell)

The Government are fully committed to banning tobacco advertising as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the 120,000 deaths every year caused by smoking or smoking-related illnesses. We made clear our intention to do this in our manifesto. A summit of national and international experts was held on 14 July to examine options for reducing smoking and controlling tobacco consumption. It is essential that we get the right combination of measures rather than rely on any single measure. The results of the summit will help inform Government policy and we will set out our strategy to reduce smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption, including our plans for legislation, in a White Paper to be published later in the year.

Ms Stuart

Is my hon. Friend aware of just how badly the previous Government's strategy to control smoking among 11 to 15-year-olds failed? I am particularly concerned about young girls. Ten years ago, one in five girls aged 15 smoked—now, one in three smoke. What are the Government doing to improve that appalling statistic and to protect children from the dangers of tobacco?

Ms Jowell

The first step is to realise that young people—young women in particular—are susceptible to the influence of direct tobacco advertising and indirect advertising through sport and other sponsorship. My hon. Friend is right. If we are not successful in reducing smoking among young women, they will become young mothers who smoke and whose children will be affected.

Dr. Iddon

I am sure that my hon. Friend is aware that smoking kills 120,000 people every year. That is equivalent to six jumbo jets crashing every week with total loss of life. If that happened, there would be public outrage and calls for action. What package of measures is my hon. Friend therefore proposing to adopt to tackle one of the nation's most deadly killers?

Ms Jowell

I should make it clear that the purpose of the anti-smoking summit held on 14 July was precisely to get the best possible advice about the range of measures that should be included in the White Paper that will frame the legislation to ban tobacco advertising, which will be published later this year. There is no single measure that will enable us to make an impact on those wasted deaths. We realise that it is through a combination of measures that we will achieve that end; that is why we have sought the advice of experts from around the world to ensure that we have a policy that works.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The hon. Lady is right to say that a combination of pressures is needed to stop 5,000 teenagers a week taking up smoking. Is it possible to learn some lessons from the continuing campaign to end drink-driving? Can she try to give more emphasis to the points that she used to make on radio, with some effect—if people around smokers disapprove, those smokers are far less likely to continue to smoke and if people smoke in front of those who are younger than them, the young are far more likely to copy them?

Ms Jowell

The Government will examine a range of evidence when drawing up their programme of anti-smoking measures. It is quite clear that children who are brought up in households where the parents smoke are more likely to smoke. That significant fact explains why it is also important that, through good health education in schools, we ensure that children are aware of the risks of smoking and seek to influence the behaviour of their parents.

Mr. Forth

Does the Minister propose to replace the current health warnings that appear in advertising and, if so, what is her estimate of the cost of that?

Ms Jowell

I repeat that last week's summit examined a range of measures. We will consider where we need to take further steps to alert the public to the risks of smoking. We will bring forward our proposals in the autumn.