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SMOKING AND HEALTH
Since the publication of the Report on Smoking by the
Royal College of Physicians, propaganda on this subject
has been intensified. Posters have been displayed on the
Council s notice boards throughout the Borough, bookmarks
and pamphlets issued to libraries and schools, and
lectures given to youth organisations and community
groups.
General practitioners were asked to co-operate by
displaying posters and making pamphlets available in
their surgery waiting rooms: the managements of industrial
concerns were approached and asked if they would be
prepared to exhibit posters and distribute pamphlets to
their employees. A number of favourable replies were
received and large numbers of posters and pamphlets were
distributed in this way.
Press conferences resulted in publicity in the local
Press and the information sheet 'Camberwell Calling' has
also been used to comment on this subject.
At the instigation of the Ministry of Health two
Mobile Anti-smoking Units were set up by the Central
Council for Health Education. These Units were staffed
by trained lecturers and equipped with a film projector
and screens, film strips, flannelgraphs, blackboard,
easel and tape-recorder as well as supplementary educational
material such as posters and leaflets. One of
these Units was secured by this Council from the 8th to
the 26th October (inclusive); this was its first engagement
after the inauguration by the Minister of Health. A
comprehensive programme was arranged during which it
visited many schools, youth organisations and community
groups in the Borough. This proved to be a very worthwhile
project and its visit to a large mixed Comprehensive
School in this Borough was followed by the establishment
by the students of an Anti-Smoking Society which now has
nearly 600 members. The Medical Officer of Health arranges
panels of speakers - including doctors and sporting
personalities - from time to time to address the boys and
girls. The Chairman of the Anti-Smoking Committee (a
scholar of fifteen) broadcasts to the school periodically.
It was suggested that the members of the Society should
wear a lapel badge and a prize was offered for the best
design. Through the 'Family Doctor' magazine badges are
now available free of charge but the scholars have asked
that they should pay for them. It is hoped that other