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58
In the three years from 1963 to 1965, the daily average of
deaths from lung cancer in England and Wales rose from 66.9 to
72.3, an increase of 5.4%. Furthermore, a recent report of the
Registrar General states that, because of incorrect diagnoses, the
steadily increasing numbers of deaths from lung cancer is Higher
than that shown in the official statistics. As a result of post mortem
examinations carried out by pathologists, it was found that in only
45.3% did the results agree with doctors' diagnoses and that some
conditions, such as lung cancer, were significantly more common
than the national figures indicate.
According to the Ministry of Health, the recent national 'red
ashtray' poster campaign has effected a small but statistically significant
shift in attitudes against cigarette smoking, mainly among
adolescents. In recent statistics there is evidence that, at long last,
health education is having some success for between 1961 and
1965, although the population in Great Britain over the age of 16
years rose by more than 1 1/4 million, the number of smokers fell by
almost 1/2 million. Non smokers (including ex-smokers) rose from
43% in 1961 to 46% in 1965. Had cigarette smoking in 1965 been
at the same rate at each age as in 1961, there would have been
between 1 and 1¼ million more smokers than was the case. The
increase in non-smokers between 1961 and 1965 was substantial in
men of all ages whereas in women, apart from the 16-19 age group,
there was no significant change. During this particular period,
persons in the 16-19 age group increased by over 1/2 million but the
number smoking rose by less than 10,000 and the proportion of
non-smokers in the group increased from 38% to 49% among young
men and from 55% to 61% in young women.
Pneumonia
There were five children under one year of age in a total of
183 deaths from pneumonia registered during 1965. The total,
which consisted of 85 males and 98 females, was little changed
from that of the previous year and a rate of 0.79 was returned in
comparison with 0.66 and 0.78, the rates for England and Wales
and Greater London respectively.
Bronchitis
During the current year, Greenwich had a total of 167
bronchitis deaths (118 males and 49 females) with a rate of 0.72.
The comparable rate for Greater London was 0.61 and for England
and Wales 0.62. There was an increase of almost 20% in the
Borough total over that for 1964 and there were 6 deaths of
children under the age of one year.