§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures have been undertaken by her Department to monitor the effects of the no-smoking campaign.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe national three-year no-smoking campaign, which was launched in December 1994, is being undertaken by the Health Education Authority on behalf of the Department of Health. It is being evaluated in terms of its effectiveness in changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in the general population.
Individual components of the campaign will also be monitored for impact among specific groups.
§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the reduction in treatment costs of smoking-related diseases since the beginning of the current no-smoking campaign; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleIt is not possible to relate recent reductions in smoking prevalence to current levels of smoking-related disease. Many smoking-related diseases have a lengthy development period and most of these manifesting themselves now are related to the smoking habits prevailing some 20 or 30 years ago.