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81
Smoking and Health
The London County Council Health Education Unit operating in the Borough for a
period of three weeks from 30th September to 18th October, 1963, was mainly engaged
each day with showing films and giving talks to schools in regard to smoking and
health Altogether, 37 lectures and film shows were given at 18 schools to over
6,000 school children These were very successful An invitation, however, to a
number of large firms and organisations in the Borough met with a disappointing
result, as only very few showed interest and accepted.
A session for members of the Borough Council's staff was held at the Town Hall
on Friday, 18th October, 1963. Two films were shown and a talk given, and questions
which followed indicated the keen interest of those who managed to attend. Similar
sessions took place for the benefit of Post Office staff and members of a Youth Club
Thanks are due to Dr Harding, Divisional Medical Officer of the London County
Council, for arranging the visit, to the two members of the team operating the Unit
and to Mr. Wales, Divisional Educational Officer, for his help with respect to the
sessions at schools
During the year, bill posting sites in the Borough were posted with crown
posters on this subject supplied by the Ministry of Health, In addition, 12,000 bookmarks
were sent to the Borough Librarian who kindly arranged for their distribution
in the Public Libraries and suitable literature was also made available in the two
publicity stands of the Public Health Department in the Town Hall
The Advisory Smoking Centre continued to function at 32, Drayton Park, N 5.,
where those who wished to give up the smoking habit met together in a group therapy
course or undertook an individual course Sessions at this Centre are earned out
under joint arrangements of the Divisional Medical Officer of the London County
Council, the Chest Physician of the Islington Chest Clinic, Dr Wallace Craig and the
Medical Officer of Health.