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4
ADVance 4831 Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Bethnal Green, E.2.
June, 1961.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my report on the health and sanitary
circumstances of the Borough for the year 1960.
In studying the causes of death in Bethnal Green one can conclude that
having survived the first year of life the chances of reaching the age of 45 are very
good indeed. In 1960 in this group, representing a total population of some 30,000
persons, there were 25 deaths. Were they deaths which could have been prevented?
The answer to this question is that a number of these deaths could have been avoided
because when we examine the 25 deaths we find that 7 were caused by motor vehicle
accidents and one was due to another accident.
Accident prevention should obviously be extended to over 45 age groups as
well because there the sad tale continues with motor vehicle accidents causing 5
deaths and a further 5 deaths arising from other accidents.
When we examine the deaths in the age group 45-75 we find that there
were 170 male deaths as compared with 117 female deaths. There were more deaths
amongst males due to their mode of living which must in some ways be different from
that of the females. What can it be? In examining the causes of death in this age
group we find deaths caused by cancer of the lung number 25 amongst the males and
5 amongst females; bronchitis, 16 males and 3 females; and coronary disease and
angina, 39 males and 16 females. The number of deaths caused by these three
diseases accounts for the excess of male over female deaths. Two of the conditions,
cancer of the lung and bronchitis, have direct relationship to smoking. There is some
connection between smoking and the third, coronary diseases, but here other more
important factors enter into consideration such as over-eating, the type of food we take
and lack of exercise.
As to advice, do not smoke, or if that is impossible, smoke less and
encourage the non-smoker to remain one. I am specially considering the young
people - your children- in this respect.