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HEALTH EDUCATION
During the year the question of publicity directed towards
education in health matters received regular attention. Each month
posters on a number of subjects were displayed on the Council's
notice boards and leaflets made available in the Council's offices
visited by the general public. Among other matters receiving
attention in this way were Food Hygiene; Accidents in the Home;
Smoking and Lung Cancer ; and Venereal Diseases.
At the request of the Ministry of Health, this latter subject
received special attention. In addition to display on the notice
boards mentioned above, posters were displayed in the public
conveniences together with details of all the special clinics in London.
With the co-operation of the local publicans stick-on notices were
also provided for display in the conveniences at the public houses in
the Borough.
CLEAN AIR ACT, 1956
The success or otherwise of the application of the Clean Act
Act, which is completing its sixth year of operation, received much
attention consequent upon the "smog" that descended upon the
capital on the 3rd to 7th December. Paddington in common with
other Boroughs with a predominance of residential buildings,
gradually being absorbed in smoke control areas, has seen a steady
fall in the amount of smoke emitted in the atmosphere but with
only a slight reduction in sulphur dioxide concentration and this
was reflected during the " smog
Present research, however, seems to indicate that a combination
of smoke, acid gases and droplets are the root of the problem, and
the so-called "smogs" are only acute manifestations of air pollution.
Bearing in mind the emphasis on the role played by smoke from
domestic chimneys, the ever increasing application of Smoke
Control Orders must have a cumulative effect, which will testify to
the success of the Clean Air Act in the future.
Smoke control areas.—The Council's revised programme
envisages that the whole Borough will be a smokeless zone by 1968.
The present position is as follows:—
Hyde Park No. 1 Order. Confirmed by the Minister of Housing
and Local Government and in operation from the 31st October,
1959.