§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department has spent on school education on the dangers of tobacco smoking in the last 12 months. [40521]
§ Yvette CooperIn 2001–02, the sum of £250,000 has been spent on the development of a series of short films made by young people, with expert assistance. The Department has also commissioned a teaching pack for schools. The short films are designed to encourage discussion of smoking issues. The films have been shown on 'Trouble TV', a youth network with the highest youth profile in the UK. Trouble TV are showing the films free of charge, donating airtime worth approximately £800,000 to the project.
The Healthy Schools programme, to which £7.7 million has been allocated this year, includes smoking prevention in a wide range of educational activity designed to improve children's health.
We recognise that children and young people smoke for different reasons. There is no single cause. That is why we:
have agreed an Enforcement Protocol with local authorities to strengthen the enforcement of the existing legislation on under-age sales of cigarettes; andsupport proof of age card schemes, which protect shopkeepers and children alike.will introduce tobacco advertising ban.These measures are supported by an overarching Tobacco Education Campaign launched in December 1999 aimed at persuading and helping smokers to give up and non-smokers, including children and young people not to start.