§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what new proposals he has to inform children of the dangers of cigarette smoking; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenThe Health Education Council, which is funded by the Government, has a substantial continuing programme concerned with alerting children to the health hazards of smoking. The work is carried forward through schools, the media, by special promotions such as the current "Pacesetters Don't Smoke" campaign and in other ways. A new television campaign, aimed at informing families as a whole of the special risks to health of cigarette smoking, is planned to start shortly. Research 363W has been commissioned by the Government and by the Health Education Council with the intention of finding more effective ways of discouraging children from smoking.